The Cat in Degas’s Hat Shop, Now Refusing To Behave

About the cat in Degas’s hat shop…

Edgar Degas is probably the least loved of the impressionists whose revolution he helped lead. Based solely on his art, he should be one of the most admired.

By David Stone

The art alone… A cat in Degas’s hat shop

A pioneer, his work frames a part of art history not likely to be forgotten.   But his contentious nature, his strident anti-Semitism and the misogyny some see in his paintings of women made him an unpopular figure in contemporary art circles.  

But I think we should consider the art alone, without personal shortcomings or overt mistakes.

Mozart was, after all, also anti-Semitic, Caravaggio a murderer, Van Gogh unbearable in person. And Beethoven a slob of proportions as outsized as his Ninth Symphony. 

Maybe it’s their contrast with the other, gentle impressionists that makes his faults stand out. 

 “His paintings portray the growth of the bourgeoisie, the emergence of a service economy and the widespread entrance of women into the workplace,” according to biography.com, quite a different enterprise than that of his contemporaries.  

The honesty of his portrayals got him in trouble with a society that preferred to keep the more mundane sides of life out of the pictures.   

• Ballet Class Visitor, Lonely Cat Art Impressionist Parody
• Cute Cat Art: A Lonely Kitten Sneaks Into the Ballet Class
• Bring Back the Sixties and Those Goddamn Hippies Now
• Fixing America: How To Do It All Really Fast
• Bonnard Cat Art: Parody of Lunch With A Great Impressionist

Among his subjects were laundresses and shopkeepers, plain and simple, recorded with honest, evocative detail.  

One his most famous paintings of bourgeois life in Paris is The Millinery Shop.  

A stylish woman is trying on hats when, in Deborah’s version, Sam intrudes on the Nineteenth Century to attach an irresistible sash. 

Also from The thing about cats

• 
  Which cats are hypoallergenic? Get the Benefits Without the SneezingNovember 16, 2022
  While there are many different breeds of cats, not all of them are hypoallergenic. In general, hypoallergenic breeds tend to have less fur and produce less of the protein that causes allergies in humans. As
• 
  You can tell a lot about a man by how his cat feels about himOctober 21, 2022
  by Millie Procter A lot of people think that you can’t judge a man by his cat. But I beg to differ. I believe that you can learn a lot about a man by the
• 
  40% Off Cat Note Card Sets While They Last. Buy Now.October 16, 2022
  Deborah Julian Art Newsletter, October 2022. This month it’s all about sales because we are closing out our stock of economy-based notecard packs. They’ve been popular for a long time, but nothing lasts forever. It’s
• 
  Pet Health Insurance: Why It Matters and Which One Is Best for Your Dog or CatSeptember 20, 2022
  Pets are part of the family, and pet health insurance is a must. Pets nourish us with companionship, unconditional love and support when we need it the most. In return, we supply them with food,
• 
  What Are The Most Common Cat Health Problems?September 19, 2022
  Ailments and injuries happen to all of us – even our feline friends. As a cat owner, it’s important to be aware of the most common cat health problems so you can keep an eye

davidstone1313

See author's posts