Rehearsal of the Pasdeloup Orchestra at the Cirque d'Hiver  1879

Free rehearsals of the classical concerts conducted by Jules-Étienne Pasdeloup were a popular event in late-19th-century Paris. John Singer Sargent attended the performances, drawing inspiration from the “odd picturesqueness”—as a fellow artist put it—of the steep view from the upper seats. This composition shows Sargent’s perceptive use of Impressionist techniques to depi...