L'Absinthe
1875-1876 Musée d'Orsay
About this artwork
This oil painting on canvas depicts a woman and a man sitting in a café, identified as the Café de la Nouvelle Athènes in Paris. The figures are portraits of actress Ellen Andrée and artist Marcellin Desboutin.
Did you know?
When the painting was first exhibited in London in 1893, it sparked a major scandal and was labeled as 'nasty' by critics who interpreted it as a moral lesson on the evils of alcoholism. Degas was quite offended by the negative reception, as he viewed the work as a detached, artistic study of contemporary Parisian life rather than a social critique. The models were actual friends of Degas, who posed in the artist's studio rather than an actual café to achieve the composition.
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L'Absinthe
Edgar Degas, 1875-1876
