Degas's Father Listening to Lorenzo Pagans Playing the Guitar

Degas employs a pronounced impasto technique, applying thick layers of paint to the guitar, the elder’s facial features, and parts of the surrounding shadows. This textured surface catches the soft, diffused light, creating subtle contrasts between illuminated areas and the enveloping darkness of the background.

The painting has remained in public ownership since its acquisition by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s 19th‑century European holdings. Its provenance traces directly to Degas’s own estate, reflecting the personal nature of the subject matter.

Executed during Degas’s early mature period, the work aligns with his interest in everyday scenes and the private lives of his acquaintances. The inclusion of a half‑finished portrait on the wall hints at the artist’s broader preoccupation with the act of painting itself, a motif that recurs in his later oeuvre.