Who painted Madame Camus at the Piano?

Madame Camus at the Piano was painted by Edgar Degas in 1869.

Where can I see Madame Camus at the Piano?

Madame Camus at the Piano is held by Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection.

What movement is Madame Camus at the Piano?

Madame Camus at the Piano is associated with Realism.

Artwork

Madame Camus at the Piano

Edgar Degas , 1869

Madame Camus at the Piano is an oil painting by the Realist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1869, this oil on canvas by Edgar Degas portrays a woman seated at a piano. The work is part of the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. The composition captures a quiet interior scene, emphasizing the poised hands of the sitter and the subdued lighting of the room.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a lady in a dark dress, her long hair framing a calm, slightly turned face. She rests her hands above the piano keys, suggesting a moment of anticipation or contemplation rather than active performance. The sparse furnishings—a table with a book or paper—add to the intimate, domestic atmosphere.

Technique & Style

Degas employs chiaroscuro to model the forms, using strong contrasts between light and shadow to give volume to the figure and the instrument. The muted wall tones and the dark piano recede, while the illuminated hands and face draw the viewer’s focus, demonstrating his skillful handling of tonal modulation.

History & Provenance

The painting was completed in the late 1860s, a period when Degas was exploring interior genre scenes. It entered the holdings of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remains on display, providing insight into the artist’s early approach to domestic subjects before his later focus on ballet and urban life.

Context

Executed during a phase when French artists were increasingly interested in everyday moments, the work reflects contemporary tastes for intimate, quietly observed scenes. Degas’s choice of a private musical setting aligns with the mid‑nineteenth‑century fascination with the bourgeois interior and the role of music in genteel society.

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.