Edgar DegasFrench, 1834–1917L'Absinthe
May one see it?
Unknown: the museum keeps its counsel
Musée d'Orsay
Paris, France
The owner is known. Whether it is on view today, the museum does not say, and we were not trained to guess.
- In this state since
- Sep 29, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
L'Absinthe (English: The Absinthe Drinker or Glass of Absinthe) is a painting by Edgar Degas, painted between 1875 and 1876. Its original title was Dans un Café, a name often used today.
Other early titles were A sketch of a French Café and Figures at Café. Then, when exhibited in London in 1893, the title was changed to L'Absinthe, the name by which the painting is now commonly known. It is in the permanent collection of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Particulars
- Accession number
- RF 1984
Sources
- Wikidata · fetched 6 days ago
- Image: Musée d'Orsay — Edgar Degas · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Meanwhile, in the life of Edgar Degas
The whole lifeearly 1870s
Meets Durand-Ruel
Degas met the dealer Durand-Ruel, later the most prominent of the trusted dealers with whom he planned his strategy at auctions.
1870s
From “de Gas” back to plain “Degas”
The archives disproved the legend of an ancient noble line: the artist's paternal ancestors were bakers, and the name “de Gas” was invented by his father, who commissioned a false genealogy. In the 1870s Edgar returned to the plain spelling, Degas.
October 1872 – March 1873 · Residence
New Orleans
1873–1874
His brother's debts: he sells his house and collection
After his father's death Degas learned that his brother René had run up enormous business debts. To save the family's reputation he sold his house and an inherited art collection and for the first time in his life depended on sales of his own work.
1874
The first Impressionist exhibition
Disenchanted with the Salon, Degas joined a group of young artists organizing an independent exhibiting society. He took a leading role in organizing the eight shows of 1874–1886 and exhibited in all but one, despite constant conflicts with the group.
1877
Friendship with Mary Cassatt
Degas invited Mary Cassatt to show in the third Impressionist exhibition, having admired her portrait “Ida” at the Salon of 1874. He introduced her to pastel and engraving, while she helped him sell paintings and promoted his reputation in the United States.
