Café-Concert 1876 - 1877

Edgar Degas' pastel drawing "Cafe-Concert" offers a glimpse into the vibrant nightlife of late 19th-century Paris, a world shaped by social class and gender expectations. The café-concert was a space where different social classes mingled, yet the experience was far from equal. The women portrayed here, some adorned with fans and elegant dresses, were often performers or members of the demimonde, their status defined by their visibility and role in the male gaze. Degas captures a sense of performance, both on stage and in the audience, highlighting how women navigated these spaces. Degas once said, "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." In this piece, he invites us to consider the complex interplay of looking and being seen, particularly for women in a rapidly changing society. The drawing reflects the societal tensions of the time and subtly questions the boundaries of social class and gender. It reminds us that even in moments of leisure, identity and societal roles are always being negotiated.