In 1891, an exhibition titled A Small Collection of Works by Degas and Others opened in London, before travelling up to Glasgow. It was organised by the Scottish art dealer Alexander Reid, who had recently returned from Paris.
During the entire run of the exhibition, only one work by the French impressionist artist Edgar Degas was sold. Impressionism was still considered deeply problematic for most members of the British public, and some of the works on show were criticised for their “distressing ugliness”.
Today, by contrast, the public queues round the block to see the work of Degas and his contemporaries.
