The Absinthe Drinker (In a Cafe), c.1875/76 by Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Canvas Print - 2804-DEE
Location: Musee d'Orsay, Paris, FranceOriginal Size: 92 x 68 cm
Giclée Canvas Print | $55.2 USD
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*Max printing size: 24 x 17.6 in
*Max framing size: Long side up to 28"
"The Absinthe Drinker (In a Cafe)" will be custom-printed for your order using the latest giclée printing technology. This technique ensures that the Canvas Print captures an exceptional level of detail, showcasing vibrant and vivid colors with remarkable clarity.
Our use of the finest quality, fine-textured canvas lends art reproductions a painting-like appearance. Combined with a satin-gloss coating, it delivers exceptional print outcomes, showcasing vivid colors, intricate details, deep blacks, and impeccable contrasts. The canvas structure is also highly compatible with canvas stretching frames, further enhancing its versatility.
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If you select a frameless art print of "The Absinthe Drinker (In a Cafe)" by Edgar Degas, it will be prepared for shipment within 48 hours. However, if you prefer a framed artwork, the printing and framing process will typically require approximately 7-8 days before it is ready to be shipped.
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Painting Information
The scene presents two figures seated in a quiet cafe, each absorbed in a pensive, almost forlorn state. The woman, dressed in a pale ensemble with a soft, layered bodice and a structured hat, sits closest to us. Her gaze drifts downward, and her features appear drawn, as if weighed by private thoughts. Beside her, the man wears a dark coat and matching hat, his posture slouched and his attention equally distant. On the tabletop, a glass of absinthe and another of deeper color sit as silent witnesses, while the bottle on the adjacent tray suggests an ongoing moment of disconcerting stillness. Shadows in the mirrored background accentuate the starkness of the setting, reminding the viewer of an enclosed, urban environment dedicated to fleeting pleasures.
A subdued palette dominates the painting, mostly cool grays, muted browns, and touches of ochre. These tones imbue the scene with a palpable heaviness, as though the figures are submerged in a haze mirroring the potency of the liquor. Hints of white - from the woman’s attire and the tabletop - offer brief respites of clarity, yet they scarcely relieve the underlying mood of isolation. The careful gradations of color allow the artist to capture the air of detachment with sobering realism, an effect heightened by the subtly textured brushstrokes around the figures’ faces.
Such attention to technique underscores a precise but somewhat dispassionate approach. While the overall painting might evoke a spontaneous observation, records show it was executed in a studio rather than in the actual cafe. This studied preparation is most evident in the balanced distribution of shapes and forms: the trio of tables receding at angles, the truncated hand of the man in the foreground, and the reflections in the mirror behind. The off-center framing - inspired by Japanese prints - introduces a feeling of precariousness, as though the viewer’s vantage point is merely a brief intersection with the figures’ ongoing melancholy.
In the broader context, such an urban tableau reflects the gathering places of a flourishing bohemian society of the late 19th century, yet the artist’s lens is focused on the fragility underlying those gatherings. The sense of alienation resonates with contemporary literary works, especially considering parallels drawn with novels exploring the destructive lure of absinthe. While the scene appears candid, it is artfully structured to underscore the distance between the seated man and woman, as well as the distance separating them from the viewer. This tension between surface spontaneity and calculated design typifies the artist’s command of both subject and technique, leaving the unmistakable impression of a reflective, almost documentary realism.
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