The Billiard Room at Menil-Hubert 1892

Edgar Degas painted "The Billiard Room at Menil-Hubert" using oil on canvas, a traditional medium but one he pushed towards abstraction. Look closely, and you'll see how Degas uses the materiality of paint itself to evoke atmosphere. The loose, almost scrubbed application gives the scene an air of transience, as if observed in a fleeting moment. Notice the juxtaposition of textures: the smooth surface of the billiard table against the roughly daubed carpet, the solid frames of the paintings against the soft, undefined walls. This wasn't just about capturing a likeness; it was about exploring the very act of seeing and representing. Degas came from a wealthy background but had an interest in the working classes, and this work shows both. It’s a domestic interior, but also a carefully constructed image, made possible by the labor of the artist himself. By focusing on the materiality and process behind this painting, we gain a deeper appreciation of Degas's artistic vision, which blurred the lines between observation, expression, and the inherent qualities of his chosen medium.