Mademoiselle Bécat at the Cafe des Ambassadeurs (Aux Ambassadeurs: Mlle Bécat)

Art Historical Context

Edgar Degas, a leading figure associated with Impressionism yet often describing himself as a realist, created this lithograph around 1877. It depicts the singer Mademoiselle Bécat performing at the Café des Ambassadeurs, a fashionable Parisian café-concert on the Champs-Élysées known for its lively outdoor entertainment under gaslight. Café-concerts were central to 1870s urban nightlife, mixing music, comedy, and social spectacle. Degas regularly observed these venues, using them to explore contemporary life, artificial lighting, and human movement. Lithography suited his experimental approach, allowing rich tonal effects and a sense of immediacy that captured the glow and energy of the scene more fluidly than traditional methods. This intimate print, from the National Gallery of Art’s Rosenwald Collection, reflects Degas’s distinctive blend of observation and innovation. It offers a vivid window into Belle Époque Paris, highlighting his skill in turning everyday entertainment into compelling art.

About the Artist

Edgar Degas · 1834–1917

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...