Mlle Bécat at the Café des Ambassadeurs

Mlle Bécat at the Café des Ambassadeurs by Edgar Degas French, 1834-1917, is an exemplary work of 19th-century graphic art. Executed as a lithograph in black on grayish white wove paper, this print demonstrates Degas's experimental approach to reproductive media during the late 1870s. This period saw the artist shift his focus from purely painterly concerns to capturing candid moments of Parisian life through new mediums, often emphasizing line and structure over color.

The work depicts Mlle Bécat, a notable café-concert performer of the era, likely captured on the stage of the Café des Ambassadeurs. Degas was fascinated by the artificial lighting and dynamic compositions found in these public entertainment venues across France. Unlike many of his Impressionist contemporaries, Degas often focused on the structure and form of performance rather than atmospheric effects. The stark contrast created by the black lithographic ink highlights the dramatic, almost sculptural, presence of the figure against the background, giving the composition a powerful immediacy. The abbreviated background and focused central figure are characteristic of Degas’s method of framing modern subjects.

As a master of various media, Degas utilized the medium of lithography to create accessible and reproducible images, contributing significantly to the history of modern prints. This specific example, dating from 1877-1878, is held in the prestigious collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Its historical importance ensures that high-quality digital reproductions of the work are often considered part of the public domain, allowing scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to study Degas’s innovative draftsmanship and his complex documentation of contemporary life.