The Bellelli Family
Edgar Degas · 1858
Why it's great
Degas painted his aunt's family in Florence: a stern mother in black, a father with his back turned, and two girls. The stiff arrangement suggests the tension in the household. Degas was in his twenties, and this big portrait showed his incredible eye for character. It's now in the Musée d'Orsay.
Where to see it
📍 Musée d'OrsayParis, France
Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Edgar Degas was born in Paris to a well-to-do family and lived there almost all his life. He's linked to the Impressionists, but preferred to work indoors, painting ballet dancers, racehorses, and women at their daily routines. He loved to catch unusual angles, as if a camera had snapped the scene. In old age his eyesight failed and he turned to sculpture.
