There is something about Degas that has always held me captive. Perhaps it's his fascination with the quiet moments of modern life—a ballerina adjusting her slipper, a woman absorbed in her work at a millinery, or a young girl lost in thought. Degas mastered these fleeting moments with a sense of immediacy, and yet, they feel like they stretch on forever. So, when I visited the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM), I knew I would need to spend time with The Milliners.
Set against a backdrop of warm oranges and earthy reds, Degas captures two women surrounded by hats, ribbons, and fabrics. There is no pretense here—just two figures lost in their craft. His brushwork swirls and dances, giving the impression of movement, as if the women might shift their weight or reach for a needle at any moment. It is intimate, alive, and unmistakably Degas.
But Degas isn’t alone at SLAM. The museum holds a remarkable collection spanning centuries and continents. From ancient artifacts to contemporary works, SLAM’s collection tells the story of human creativity in all its forms.
Monet’s Water Lilies radiates serenity. The canvas pulses with soft blues and purples that blend seamlessly into one another. Standing before it feels less like observing a painting and more like slipping into a pond yourself, the water rippling gently around you. Then there’s Renoir’s Léonard Renoir, The Artist's Father, a portrait rendered in rich, warm tones that exudes tenderness. Renoir’s father, seated with a book in hand, radiates a quiet dignity—a stark contrast to the lively, kinetic energy found in Degas’ work.
Ancient artifacts provide a striking contrast to these Impressionist masterpieces. The Egyptian Mummy Mask, with its haunting gaze and delicate gold leaf, connects visitors to a world thousands of years past. Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Young Woman with a Fan reveals the Dutch master’s ability to capture both light and the inner complexity of his subjects.
George Caleb Bingham’s The Jolly Flatboatmen brings to life the bustling energy of frontier life on the Mississippi, while Kehinde Wiley’s Equestrian Portrait of Philip IV reimagines classical portraiture through a bold and contemporary lens. Nearby, Max Beckmann’s Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery blends biblical themes with the chaotic emotions of post-war Europe.
Paul Cézanne’s Bathers shifts the mood again, moving away from Impressionism’s fleeting light toward something more solid, geometric, and intentional. Manet’s The Reader feels like a pause—a moment of calm amid the bustle of Parisian life. Seurat’s Port-en-Bessin, The Outer Harbor (Low Tide) introduces a more calculated stillness, with its crisp, pointillist dots constructing a quiet yet intricate seaside scene. Monet appears once more with Rocks at Belle-Île, Port-Domois, where jagged cliffs are softened by dabs of pink and orange sunlight.
But the most surprising find was Maximilien Luce’s Notre Dame de Paris. Bathed in moonlight, the cathedral feels ghostly and eternal—a haunting yet beautiful vision of Paris sleeping beneath the stars.
If you're planning a visit, here’s a curated list of 10 must-see works at the Saint Louis Art Museum that shouldn’t be missed:
1. Edgar Degas – The Milliners
2. Claude Monet – Water Lilies
3. Pierre-Auguste Renoir – Léonard Renoir, The Artist's Father
4. Camille Pissarro – The Louvre, Morning, Sunlight
5. Vincent van Gogh – Stairway at Auvers
6. Paul Cézanne – Bathers
7. Édouard Manet – The Reade
8. George Caleb Bingham – The Jolly Flatboatmen
9. Kehinde Wiley – Equestrian Portrait of Philip IV
10. Max Beckmann – Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery
SLAM’s collection feels like a conversation between these artists. They each saw the world differently, yet they were united by their fascination with light, movement, and the everyday. Degas might have captured the quieter corners of Paris, but Monet bathed gardens in color, Renoir wrapped figures in warmth, and Van Gogh poured his emotions straight onto the canvas.
For me, Degas will always hold a special place. There’s something about his ability to capture the in-between moments—the times when nothing happens, yet everything happens—that feels deeply human. Visiting the Saint Louis Art Museum reminded me that art isn’t just about beauty; it’s about life itself—unfolding, unpredictable, and beautiful in its imperfections.
