Zangeres en profil bij vier gaslampen in donkere omgeving 1877 - 1878

Edgar Degas made this print, Zangeres en profil bij vier gaslampen in donkere omgeving, using etching. In this image, the singer becomes part of the modern urban landscape. The gas lamps, a relatively new technology at the time, illuminate not just the stage but also the changing social fabric of late 19th-century France. Degas was fascinated by the theatre and café-concerts, places where class boundaries blurred and new forms of entertainment emerged. Consider how the stark lighting and unconventional composition challenge traditional portraiture. Degas wasn't interested in idealizing his subject; rather, he captured a fleeting moment, a sense of immediacy. This reflects a broader trend in Impressionism to depict modern life as it was actually lived. To fully appreciate this work, we might explore theatre programs, newspapers, and other archival materials. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.