Interior at Menil-Hubert 1892

Edgar Degas painted this strangely unsettling interior scene in France, possibly during the 1880s. The play of light, the odd composition, and the somewhat oppressive wallpaper all contribute to a sense of unease, of something not quite right. In its time, this was a self-consciously progressive approach. Degas was a central figure in the Impressionist movement, which challenged the conservative academic traditions of the French art establishment. He was concerned with modern life, with conveying the fleeting impressions of the senses. One can only speculate on the exact significance of this image, though it has often been connected to a crime story of the time. What is most certain is that Degas was using a contemporary setting to probe the psychological depths of human experience. Historians of art and culture can shed further light on the painting by looking at contemporary newspapers, crime reports, and also the broader context of art institutions. It is through attention to social context that we can enrich our understanding of art.