The artwork “Edmondo and Therese Morbilli” is a creation by the renowned artist Edgar Degas, painted during the years 1865 to 1866. The medium used for this piece is oil on canvas, and it is recognized as a portrait within the Impressionist movement. The artwork is housed in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, located in Washington, DC, USA.
The painting depicts a male and female figure, ostensibly Edmondo and Therese Morbilli, set against an interior domestic background. The woman is seated towards the front of the composition, wearing an eye-catching red dress with voluminous skirts, her gaze directed outward, towards the viewer. The man, presumed to be Edmondo, is captured in profile, offering a counterpose to the woman as he looks off to the side, creating a sense of introspective musing or detachment. His attire and posture suggest a formal bearing, typical of a bourgeois setting.
Both figures are enveloped by a rich tapestry of textures and colors, with the heavy drapery in the background adding depth and a somber tone to the overall scene. The brushwork, while detailed in the depiction of the fabric and faces, also possesses the fluidity and looseness that characterize the Impressionist movement’s preoccupation with capturing the effects of light and momentary impressions. Despite this, Degas manages to convey the personality and social status of his subjects through the careful rendering of their attire and the subtle interplay of their expressions and gazes.
