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The Orchestra of the Opera
Edgar Degas French
Not on view
Rather than highlighting the ballet performance onstage, Degas focused his attention on the orchestra pit below. He intended the painting to be a portrait of the bassoonist at center, Désiré Dihau, who plays in an ensemble composed of recognizable colleagues and friends of the artist. The composer Emmanuel Chabrier, who performed at the Manets’ musical soirées, appears in the box in the upper left.
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