“At the Milliner’s” is an artwork by Edgar Degas, dating from around 1905 to 1910, created using pastel. This piece is associated with the Impressionist movement and falls under the genre painting category. The artwork is currently housed at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France.
The artwork captures a scene inside what appears to be a hat shop. Two women are engaged in the intimate act of trying on and inspecting hats, which are central objects in the composition. The woman on the left, possibly a milliner or shop attendant, holds a hat above her head, tilting it as if examining it or showing it to a potential buyer. Her posture suggests movement and attention to detail. The woman on the right, perhaps a customer, is seated and also appears to be holding a hat or a piece of fabric, looking down, focusing on the object in her hands.
The use of pastel allows for a softness in texture and a vividness in color that is characteristic of Degas’s later works. There is a visible interplay of light and shadow on the figures and objects, emphasizing depth and form. The background is muted, crafted with broad, sketch-like strokes, allowing the figures and the colorful assortment of hats to stand out. This focus on everyday life and moments of modernity is typical of genre painting and the Impressionist movement’s desire to capture the essence of the moment.
