In the Salon

In the Salon by Edgar Degas is a powerful example of the artist's intense exploration of intimate, interior scenes realized through the demanding medium of monotype. Created between 1880 and 1889, during a period when Degas was pushing the boundaries of traditional representation in late 19th-century France, this unique work captures an ambiguous social exchange. The monotype technique, where the artist works directly on a plate to produce a single, unique print, allowed Degas unparalleled freedom for dramatic lighting effects and rapid composition.

Degas utilized the subtle textures and tonal variations inherent in the monotype process to depict a private moment, likely within a bourgeois drawing-room or a specific Parisian social setting. The composition is marked by sharp contrasts and dramatic chiaroscuro, focusing attention on the figures and the environment they inhabit. Unlike his more famous oils or pastels of dancers, this piece shows Degas’s consistent fascination with unconventional compositions and the candid observation of modern life. The classification of the work as a singular print underscores the importance of technical experimentation to the artist’s oeuvre.

This piece, along with other critical prints of the era, contributes significantly to the understanding of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist technical innovation. Currently residing in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, In the Salon remains an essential reference point for studying the development of the monotype process in 19th-century French art.