Resumen de Degas's 'Place de la Concorde: Vicomte Lepic and His Daughters'
The troubled history of Degas's Place de la Concorde of 1875-77 (Fig.8) has inevitably affected its treatment in the literature. Max Liebermann, Julius Meier-Graefe and others wrote about the picture with the benefit of having seen it.' Those who discussed it after the Second World War were less fortunate, and had to base their discussion on reproductions alone. Political changes have now made it possible to view the work itself in the Hermitage, St Petersburg, and technical examination of it has revealed some significant fresh information. The present article considers the painting in the light of these technical findings, details the significant changes and additions made by Degas from first to last stage and examines its relation to the topography of the place de la Concorde.
