Artwork
The Millinery Shop by Edgar Degas
The Millinery Shop by Edgar Degas is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
Created between 1879 and 1886, this oil on canvas by Edgar Degas measures roughly 100 by 111 centimetres, making it the largest of his works that focus on millinery. The composition centers on a woman seated at a shop counter, surrounded by an assortment of elaborate hats that dominate the picture plane.
Subject & Meaning
The figure appears absorbed in examining a large straw hat adorned with blossoms, suggesting either a milliner adjusting a piece for a client or a shopper assessing a purchase. The surrounding accessories—a secondary hat on a wooden stand and a vivid blue fan—reinforce the setting as a bustling, fashion‑oriented interior.
Technique & Style
Degas employs a rich palette of warm reds, greens and yellows, applying the paint in thick, textured strokes that give the surface a palpable sense of materiality. The impasto treatment especially accentuates the fabric of the hats and the sheen of the fan, while the soft lighting creates a modest, intimate atmosphere.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the canvas entered private collections before being acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains on display. Its dating to the late 1870s–mid‑1880s places it within Degas’s broader interest in contemporary urban life and the behind‑the‑scenes world of Parisian commerce.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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.
