The young woman in this painting is presumably a hatmaker examining her handiwork — her lips pursed, perhaps around a pin. It has also been suggested that she could be a client about to try on a hat, since she wears an expensive fur-trimmed dress and kid gloves. X-ray examination revealed that this figure originally represented a customer, but in his rethinking of the subject, Degas withheld details to clarify her identity.
The Millinery Shop
oil on canvas • 99 × 109 cm
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Edgar Degas