Village Street 1898

Edgar Degas painted this evocative scene of a Village Street with oil on canvas. The artwork suggests the Impressionist painters' interest in modern life, but it does so in a somewhat oblique way. Impressionism often celebrated the bourgeoisie, but here we see a modest, even humble, village. We might ask, what is Degas trying to say about French society at the time? The lack of precise dating makes it hard to say definitively. The painting's rough and immediate style may reflect the rise of Realism, a movement that sought to depict the world as it truly was, without idealization. France experienced rapid social change during Degas's lifetime, from urbanization to industrialization. Perhaps this village scene is a comment on what was being lost in the name of progress. To understand this artwork better, we might research the social history of rural France in the 19th century. Only by situating the artwork in its proper context can we begin to understand its meaning.