Why it matters
Degas's aunt Laura, dressed in mourning, stands with her two daughters, while her husband sits apart at his desk. The composition hints at tensions within the family.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1858–1867.
- The portrait behind Laura shows her recently deceased father.
- The baron Gennaro Bellelli was an Italian patriot exiled from Naples.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Bellelli Family (CC BY-SA 4.0).
