Impressionism, a historical reconstruction:
Edgar Degas
(1834-1917)
At the 4th impressionist exposition in 1879
an impression of his exhibited art-works
Which art-works did Degas exhibit in 1879?
On this page you will find an accounted impression of the about 26 art-works that were shown by Edgar Degas at the 4th ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1879 (catalogue numbers: 57-81+hc2). Degas showed 6 works made with tempera and 5 fans . I render the pictures by theme and technique. Note: If you double click on the first (of a cluster of) pictures and then click on full screen, you can create a slideshow. On a smartphone or laptop you can also zoom in. Enjoy!
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-57, Portrait de M. Diego Martelli. Now: Degas, CR519, 1879, Diego Martelli, 100×110 , NGS Edinburgh (iR2;R90II,p109+128;R2,p257+267;R114,no519;R26,no556;M63)
Edgar Degas: 1879, CR517, Edmond Duranty, pastel+tempera, 100×100, Glasgow AGM (iR10;iR6;R2,p36+267+311;R90II,p109+128+148+164;R26,no568;R90I,p290+308;M186) = 4IE-1879-58, Portrait de M. Duranty (détrempe) =!? 5IE-1880-44+hc2, Portrait de M. Duranty. Note: the surroundings represent the character.
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-60, Portrait d’amis, sur la scène (pastel) = 1879ca, CR526, Wings of Desire (Ludovic Halevy and Albert Boulanger-Cavé), pastel + tempera, 79×55, Orsay (iR2;iR59;R90II,p109+128;R2,p267;R26,no567;R114,no534;M1)
Edgar Degas, 1878-79, CR499, At the Stock Exchange (with Ernest May in the middle), 100×81, Orsay (iR2;iR23;iR8;R26,no454;R2,p267+278+311;R90II,p110+128+148+163;R90I,p227;R114,no526;M1) = 4IE-1879-61, Portraits, à la bourse = 5IE-1880-35, Portraits à la bourse; appartient à M. E. M. (uncertain if it was exhibited)
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-69, Portrait d’un peintre dans son atelier; appartient à M. H.M.L…. =? 1873, CR326, Portrait of Henri Michel-Levy, 41×27, MFCG Lisbon (iR2;R90II,p111+129;R2,p268;R26,no362;R114,no326).
Edgar Degas: 1904, CR1442, Study for a Portrait of M. and Mme Louis Rouart, pastel, 98×78, AI Chicago (iR6;aR15=M20;iR10) Compare: 4IE-1879-75, Portraits de M. et Mme H. de C. (détrempe à pastel).
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-59, Portrait après un bal costumé (détrempe) = CR534, 1879, Portrait after a Costume Ball (Mme Dietz-Monnin), pastel+tempera, 86×75, AI Chicago (iR59;iR2;R90II,p109+128;R2,p267;R26,no562;M20) (Maybe not exhibited)
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-70, Chanteuse de café (pastel); appartient à M. C. G… =1878ca, CR478bis, Chanteuse de café (au gant), the singer with the glove, pastel+tempera, 53×41, FAM Cambridge (iR6;aR23;R90II,p72+111+129;R2,p268;R26,no448;R114,no478bis;M32) Loan by Camille Groult =? 3IE-1877-42, Chanteuse de café-concert (probably not exhibited).
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-73, Grand air, après un ballet (pastel) =!? 1879ca, CR521, Aria after the ballet, pastel + gouache, 60×75, MA Dallas (iR6;iR10;R90II,p111+130;R2,p268;R26,no745;R114,no521;M36)
Edgar Degas: 1877ca, CR434, Theater box, p+mt, 21×17, NGA Washington (iR10;iR48;aR23=MS1980;M21) =?? 4IE-1879-68, Portrait dans une baignoire à l’Opera (pastel).
Edgar Degas: 1880ca, CR586, Ballet, view from a loge, pastel, 70×60, xx (iR10;iR377;R26,no750;R90II,p111) =?? 4IE-1879-68, Portrait dans une baignoire à l’Opera (pastel).
Edgar Degas: 1877-78ca, CR476, Dancer with a Bouquet of Flowers, pastel, 40×50, Providence RISD (iR2;iR377;R26,no509;R47,p57;R2,p311;M152). Option for: 5IE-1880-44+hc3, (no title). Compare: 4IE-1879-68, Portrait dans une baignoire à l’Opera (pastel). Note: the unusual perspective and the effect of light.
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-71, Loge de danseuse (pastel), appartient à Mme A. de C… = 1879, CR529, Dancer in Her Dressing Room, pastel, 60×43, Oskar Reinhart Winterthur (iR2;R90II,p111+130;R90I,p252;R2,p268;R26,no728;R114,no529;M87)
Edgar Degas, 1878-80ca, CR500, (Before) The ballet, pastel, 51×43, NGA Washington (M21;R26,no540;R114,no500;R90II,p112+131;R90I,p244+245+252) =? 4IE-1879-81+hc2, Danseuses derrière la toile
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-74, Portrait de danseuse, à la leçon (pastel) =1877-79ca, CR450, The Dance Lesson, pastel, 67×59, Metropolitan (iR8;iR2;R26,no503;iR59;R90II,p111+130;R2,p268;R114,no450;M23) Choosen by Renoir from the Caillebotte bequest.
Edgar Degas: 1873-74, CR498, The Rehearsal on Stage, pastel, 53×72, Metropolitan (iR2;R90II,p110+129;R90I,p240;R2,p268+265;R26,no469;R114,no498;M23). Former Ernest May collection. Probably: 4IE-1879-65, École de danse (détrempe); appartient à M. E.M… Maybe: 4IE-1879-81+hc1, Répétition de ballet sur la scène.
Edgar Degas: 1876, CR399, Dance School, oil and tempera, 43×57, SM Vermont (iR10;iR174;R2,p258+267;R90II,p112+131;R90I,p240/1;R26,no489;R114,no399) Probably: 4IE-1879-81+hc1, Répétition de ballet sur la scène. Maybe: 4IE-1879-65, École de danse (détrempe); appartient à M. E. M…
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-66, École de danse; appartient à M. H.R… =CR537, 1879ca, Rehearsal, 47×61, Frick New York (iR2;R90II,p110+129+294;R2,p268;R26,no727;R114,no537;M37) =Henri Rouart sale 1912-15.1
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-72, Danseuse posant chez un photographe =? 1877-78ca, CR447, Dancer Posing for a Photographer (Dancer in Front of the Window), 65×50, Pushkin (iR53;iR2;R90II,p111+130;R2,p268;R26,no505;R114,no447;M96)
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-62, Miss Lola, au cirque Fernando. Now: 1879, CR522, Miss La La at Cirque Fernando, 117×78, NG London (iR2;iR59;R2,p267+279;R90II,p110+128;R90I,p292;R26,no560;R114,no522;R47,p82;R27,p48;M61)
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-63, Chevaux de course (essence) =!? 1881ca (1869-72), CR649, Jockeys before the Race, thinned oil + pastel + gouache, 108×74, BIFA Birmingham (iR2;aR23;R90II,p110+129;R90I,p238;R26,no692;R114,no649)
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-64, Blanchisseuses portant du linge en ville (esquisse à l’essence); appartient à M. Coquelin Cadet = 1876-78ca, CR410, Laundresses carrying linen, thinned oil, 46×61, private (iR2;aR23;R280;R2,p267+280;R90II,p110+129;R114,no410;R26,no437) Provenance: Durand-Ruel; Ernest Coquelin Cadet. Compare: 2IE-1876-50, Blanchisseuse portant du linge.
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-77, Eventail; appartient à M. Brame =!? 1879ca, CR457, Fan, the ballet, wc, 16×54, Metropolitan (iR8;iR59;R90II,p111+130;R2,p268+248;R26,no542;R114,no457;M23) Provenance: Hecotor Brame 1879-1891
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-78, Éventail; appartient à Mme L.H. =!? 1878-79, CRsupp72, Deux danseuses sur scène, wc on silk, 16×57, A2005/02/07 (iR6;iR10;iR11;iR15;iR90;R90II,p112+130)
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-79, Éventail; appartient à Mme H. R… =!? 1880ca, CR613, Le ballet, fan gouache, 19×60, Orsay (?) (iR382;iR10;R26,no552;R90II,p112+131;R114,no613;M1)
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-80, Eventail =? 1879ca, CR566, dancers, fan wc on silk, 19×58, Metropolitan (iR8;iR10;R90II,p112+131;R26,no544;R114,no566;M23) Provenance Mary Cassatt since 1879 à 1883.
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-80, Eventail =? 1879ca, CR567, Dancers in the wings, fan, gouache + pastel, 31×58, private (aR23;iR10;iR39;R26,no543;R114,no567)
Edgar Degas: 4IE-1879-81, Eventail =?? 1879ca, CR564, Dancers, fan, gouache + pastel + thinned oil, 36×61, Tacoma AM (or NGV Melbourne) (iR10;iR90;aR23;R26,no545;R2,p268;R114,no564;M122)
Probably or maybe not exhibited :
No. 67 (perhaps) wasn’t exhibited. Maybe the numbers 59 + 61 + 69 also weren’t exhibited, but because this is (very) uncertain, I count them as exhibited.
Edgar Degas: 1880ca, CR532, A frieze, three woman, dr+pastel+tempera, 50×65, private (iR2;R2,p268+341+354;R90II,p110+180+190;R26,no565;R114,no532) =!? 4IE-1879-67, Essai de décoration (détrempe) (probably not exhibited) = 6IE-1881-19+hc2, Portraits en frise pour décorer un appartement
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-59, Portrait après un bal costumé (détrempe) = CR534, 1879, Portrait after a Costume Ball (Mme Dietz-Monnin), pastel+tempera, 86×75, AI Chicago (iR59;iR2;R90II,p109+128;R2,p267;R26,no562;M20) (Maybe not exhibited)
Edgar Degas, 1878-79, CR499, At the Stock Exchange (with Ernest May in the middle), 100×81, Orsay (iR2;iR23;iR8;R26,no454;R2,p267+278+311;R90II,p110+128+148+163;R90I,p227;R114,no526;M1) = 4IE-1879-61, Portraits, à la bourse = 5IE-1880-35, Portraits à la bourse; appartient à M. E. M. (uncertain if it was exhibited)
Edgar Degas, 4IE-1879-69, Portrait d’un peintre dans son atelier; appartient à M. H.M.L…. =? 1873, CR326, Portrait of Henri Michel-Levy, 41×27, MFCG Lisbon (iR2;R90II,p111+129;R2,p268;R26,no362;R114,no326).
Clarification :
Probably two works were exhibited outside the catalogue (=hors catalogue=hc ). For no. 76 ‘portrait’ I couldn’t find an option. No. 67 probably wasn’t exhibited↑. Many suggestions are (quite) certain, some are (very) uncertain. Sometimes to ‘compare’ another (extra) picture is given that is (probably) similar to the painting that was exhibited, see also identification of pictures . See link for an account . See also a thematical overview of his exhibited art-works. For explanation of the subscriptions, see . See for the used sources at the bottom of the main page about Edgar Degas .
Recommanded citation : “Impressionism: Edgar Degas at the 4th ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1879; an impression of his exhibited art-works. Last modified 2024/01/27. https://www.impressionism.nl/degas-1879-expo/ “