Where Is Madame Rene De Gas? See It at Private Collection

Q: Who was Madame René de Gas?

Estelle Musson was Degas's first cousin and sister-in-law, married to his brother René. By age 30, she was completely blind from chronic eye disease, the same condition that plagued Degas himself.

Q: Where is this portrait displayed?

The painting hangs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Another version showing Estelle with flowers is at the New Orleans Museum of Art, closer to where she lived.

Q: What does the painting show?

The portrait depicts Estelle arranging flowers by touch and smell. The soft focus and muted palette reflect her visual limitations, while Degas's treatment shows compassion for her condition.

Edgar Degas painted his first cousin Estelle Musson during his 1872 visit to New Orleans. She had married his brother René and was nearly blind from chronic eye disease. Degas, whose own vision was deteriorating, deeply identified with her condition. The portrait shows her arranging flowers by touch and smell instead of sight.

Estelle suffered from chorioretinitis, the same condition affecting Degas. During his New Orleans stay, he developed fondness for her, painting five works featuring his cousin. The soft focus and subdued colors reflect her visual limitations while demonstrating Degas's compassion. Now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Estelle Musson was Degas's first cousin and sister-in-law, married to his brother René. By age 30, she was completely blind from chronic eye disease, the same condition that plagued Degas himself.

Degas deeply identified with Estelle because both shared the same eye condition, chorioretinitis. During his New Orleans visit in 1872, he painted her five times, showing her managing tasks by touch and smell instead of sight.

The painting hangs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Another version showing Estelle with flowers is at the New Orleans Museum of Art, closer to where she lived.

The portrait depicts Estelle arranging flowers by touch and smell. The soft focus and muted palette reflect her visual limitations, while Degas's treatment shows compassion for her condition.

Madame Rene De Gas

Where to See It

The Artist

More by Edgar Degas

Singer in Green

Dancers Practicing at the Barre

Mademoiselle Malo

The Cafe Concert

Also at Private Collection

Faun

Lorenzaccio

Marie Gallén at the Kuhmoniemi-bridge

A Beggar Warming his Hands over a Chafing Dish

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Luncheon of the Boating Party

Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1

Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies

Luncheon of the Boating Party

Water Lilies

About Madame Rene De Gas

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