Woman on a Terrace (Young Woman and Ibis) 1857

Curator: Well, this is intriguing! The blend of a woman and two vibrant ibis strikes an unusual note. Editor: Absolutely. At first glance, it feels like a dream sequence or a haunting memory materialized on canvas. The light is otherworldly, especially on those intense birds! Curator: What we are looking at is Edgar Degas’s “Woman on a Terrace (Young Woman and Ibis),” painted around 1857. It's an oil painting currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It really invites symbolic interpretation. Editor: Right? I see those ibis and my mind jumps straight to ancient Egypt – sacred birds, the afterlife, all that rich symbolic history just pops into my head. She, by contrast, seems like she could be anywhere and nowhere. Curator: Yes, the ibis were deeply symbolic in ancient Egyptian culture, linked to Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing. Degas may have been alluding to knowledge or secrets possessed or sought by the woman. Also, in ancient Rome, they were considered as a source of prosperity. Editor: Interesting! Though she doesn't seem thrilled by her good fortune. She looks…resigned? Distant? I almost wonder if the birds are less about concrete symbols, and more about the stirrings in her own subconscious. You know? The way those brilliant colors pull focus, they seem to vibrate with suppressed energy. Curator: I agree. There is that sense of detachment and introspective mood… Considering Degas's later focus on movement and capturing fleeting moments, it's a bit of an anomaly in his oeuvre. Perhaps a personal exploration of inner space using recognizable symbols, which adds to its lasting power, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. There's a quiet tension to this painting, like a held breath before a confession. The muted palette mixed with those intense reds... it feels so intimate. It’s a quiet moment filled with unanswered questions. Curator: Yes, and hopefully we've given you some food for thought. It shows you can tell so much with few visual prompts. Editor: So much, indeed. Thank you!