Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

In a Café (The Absinthe Drinker)

Edgar Degas French

Not on view

Degas drew inspiration for the setting of this painting from the Café de la Nouvelle-Athènes, where he often met Manet and other artists in their circle, including Marcellin Desboutin, seen here at right. His framing of the composition places the viewer at a nearby table looking toward the pair of drinkers, whose indifference to one another and their surroundings imparts a sense of modern urban alienation. The actress Ellen Andrée posed for the weary-looking female figure, giving her a slumped posture and downturned expression. Degas intended to include the work in the second Impressionist exhibition, in 1876, but ultimately showed it the following year.

In a Café (The Absinthe Drinker), Edgar Degas (French, Paris 1834–1917 Paris), Oil on canvas, French

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.