The Singer in Green by Degas

Emerging from the intoxicating atmosphere of Parisian cabarets, this masterly work by Degas Edgar, associated with the Impressionist movement, stands under the title of “The Singer in Green” within his production. The artist temporarily abandons ballerinas to capture the raw energy of café-concert scenes, immortalizing the magnetism of a popular show. This composition bears witness to his untiring research into natural attitudes and human expressions captured on the spot.

The singer stands in the center, depicted half-length with her head turned three-quarters towards the left of the composition. Her mouth is half-open in full lyrical surge, while her dark eyes look upwards. Her left arm is raised and gracefully bent towards her left shoulder, while her right arm rests along her body on the right. She is dressed in a stage gown in shades of orange and golden yellow, complemented by turquoise ribbons in her hair and a tight black ribbon choker around her neck. The background is a solid backdrop of blue-green and turquoise tones.

This work celebrates the artist’s unique and masterly craftsmanship through an incredibly virtuous pastel technique. The painter uses dense and vibrant hatching to sculpt forms and capture the vibration of artificial light on his model’s face with a striking and poignant realism.