Artwork

Program for the Soiree Artistique (Programme de la Soirée des anciens élèves du Lycée de Nantes)

Program for the Soiree Artistique (Programme de la Soirée des anciens élèves du Lycée de Nantes) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

The text is in French and mentions a "Soiree Artistique" (Artistic Evening) with a program of music and dance.

This image looks like a hand-drawn concert program. On the left side, there’s a sketch of a woman’s face and a cello. To the right, you see a tree with big, rough branches and a ship drawn in a simple, wobbly line. The bottom half is filled with tiny printed text listing songs and performers.

The text is in French and mentions a "Soiree Artistique" (Artistic Evening) with a program of music and dance. The date at the top reads June 15, 1844.

Next, check out lithography to see how this kind of print was made.

Overview

Program for the Soiree Artistique is a transfer lithograph print created by Edgar Degas in 1844 for an event hosted by alumni of a Nantes lycée.

Subject & Meaning

The print combines a hand-drawn design featuring a woman's face, a cello, a tree, and a ship with printed text listing the evening's musical and dance performances.

Technique & Style

Degas employed transfer lithography to produce the print, showcasing his graphic skills in the hand-drawn elements alongside the mechanically printed text.

History & Provenance

Dated June 15, 1844, the print was created when Degas was about 10 years old, predating his later focus on subjects like dancers and his association with Impressionism.

Artist & collection

Artist

Edgar Degas

Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.