2024-04-25
The exhibition "Degas at the Opera" is about to be complemented by a recently recovered painting "The Choristers". The missing piece was found on a bus outside of Paris. French customs agents found the artwork inside a suitcase which was located in the boot of the bus. The discovery took place during a routine check.
The work was painted in 1887, and it depicts "the choir from the opera Don Juan during the first act’s finale celebrations" - it’s the one and only painting which does not include dancers. It was bequeathed to the national collection by Gustave Caillebotte in 1894, together with other five paintings by Degas and 67 works painted by other artists.
The painting was stolen in 2009 during an exhibition in the Musée Cantini in Marseilles. At first, the police suspected that it was an inside job, but the investigation showed no results. It is worth nearly $1 million. "Degas at the Opera" will open in September 2019 in Paris and then will shift to the National Gallert of Art in March 2020.