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

• 
  The 7 Big Benefits of Cat Art in Your LifeMarch 8, 2023
  If you’re like most people, you probably think of art as a way to decorate your home or office. But did you know that art can also have a profound impact on your mental and
• 
  Why cats are the best-evolved animals in the modern worldJanuary 31, 2023
  There’s no denying that cats are some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet, but are they also the best-evolved? And while there are many reasons why they’re so special, one thing, in particular,
• 
  What is a cat’s lifespan now? Shorter than ours but…January 28, 2023
  Cats are one of the most popular pets in the world, and a cat’s lifespan varies depending on a number of factors. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how long cats typically
• 
  Cats Quotes – Insightful and Amusing Words from Smart MindsJanuary 27, 2023
  National Cat Day is October 29th, and looking ahead, that got us thinking about all the ways cats have entwined themselves in peoples’ lives. This collection of cats quotes illustrates the breadth and depth of
• 
  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

davidstone1313

See author's posts