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The Millinery Shop

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Find the green ribbon descending from the hat above the woman, then notice how the hat almost seems to rest on her head.

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Degas developed this, his largest painting of a millinery shop, through many studies and changes. The woman could be a customer or a worker: her fine dress and long gloves do not settle the question. Displayed hats fill more of the picture than the figure, making merchandise an active part of the composition.

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Oil on canvas · 100 × 110.7 cm · Art Institute of Chicago · Impressionism

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Details and source

Museum title
The Millinery Shop
Artist
Edgar Degas
Date
1879-86
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
100 × 110.7 cm (39 3/8 × 43 9/16 in.); Framed: 132.1 × 142.3 × 9.6 cm (52 × 56 × 3 3/4 in.)
Credit line
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection
Image license
CC0 1.0 · Public domain
Museum record
Art Institute of Chicago

Artist’s life 1834–1917

Impressionism c. 1860–1900

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Galler’s rooms and hanging scale are imagined. The image is the museum’s original digital reproduction.

The Millinery Shop · Edgar Degas, 1879-86
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The Millinery Shop, Edgar Degas

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