Edgar Degas L Absinthe Essay

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It is considered a rare and unique talent when an artist is able to convey emotions and feelings through their mediums, and may possibly be even more rare and coveted when they can provoke emotions from their pieces. Though unintentional, Edgar Degas painted a scene that would be considered controversial and even disgusting for years to come and would inspire debate against the infamous green drink, absinthe. L'Absinthe by Edgar Degas is a historically referenced piece that highlights the split opinions of modern art and unintentionally shows the emotional effects that come from the use of absinthe. Originally painted between the years 1875 and 1876, L’Absinthe was modelled after two well-known French social figures, Ellen Andrée, an actress, and Marcellin Desboutin, another local artist, both friends of Degas at the time. Credited as one of the original impressionists, Degas used a barely there, almost smudgy brush pattern and utilized a yellow and white base palette with which he pulled into darker, dingier tones, ranging from muddy yellows to black. With oil on canvas, he creates a scene in a café where a woman (Andrée) sits solemnly and gazes off into the distance. In front of her is a glass of green liquid and to her side is a man with a morose expression (Desboutin) who is smoking …show more content…

The sensation the painting caused and it’s proclaimed “ugliness” forced the painting back into storage and temporarily damaged the reputations of both models involved. It resurfaced for display once again in 1892, where it was similarly booed and this time the controversy of absinthe was brought to light. The piece’s message was distorted by members of the London art world from two people sharing a pensive moment, to a lesson of the dangers of absinthe. The subject matter of the painting had a hand in further influencing the already existing sense of Francophobia that existed in the area

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