Edgar DegasFrancia, 1834–1917Alice Villette
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Dove si trova «Alice Villette» oggi? Harvard Art Museums, Gallery 2700, floor 2, European and American Art, 19th century, Cambridge. Sì, esposta ora. Verificato 29 settembre 2026.
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Sul dipinto
By this point in his career, Degas had abandoned historical scenes to portray activities of modern urban life. This portrait, painted in his studio on the rue Blanche in Paris, depicts his friend Alice Villette in front of a large window overlooking the cityscape. The composition relies on a conceit of portraiture dating to the Renaissance that uses a window to expand the picture plane through perspective. Degas upends this tradition by depicting an independent view of the city in each window pane, defying the viewer’s expectation to see a continuous, defined landscape in the background. The progressively sketchy quality of these views through panes from left to right prohibits an expansion of the space within the portrait, flattening it instead so that the sitter is pushed into a close confrontation with the viewer.
Harvard Art Museums
Scheda
- Numero di inventario
- 1925.7
In catalogo
Fonti
- Harvard Art Museums
- Immagine: Harvard Art Museums — © President and Fellows of Harvard College
Nella vita di Edgar Degas
Tutta la vita1870
A volunteer in the war; a flaw in his eyesight
When the Franco-Prussian War broke out Degas volunteered; at the first shooting practice it turned out that he saw poorly with his right eye. It was the first sign of the macular degeneration that left him almost blind at the end of his life; he was transferred to the artillery and served there to the end of the war.
early 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.
ottobre 1872 – marzo 1873 · Residenza
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.
