[Portrait of Ludovic Halévy ]

Edgar Degas lived within walking distance of the Halévy residence and dined with the family regularly on Thursday evenings. "We have made him not just an intimate friend but a member of our family, his own being scattered all over the world," wrote Daniel Halévy. This intimate bond, at its strongest during the period of Degas's photographic activity, is apparent in Halévy's casual comfort in his home and in front of the photographer. By January 1898 their friendship had become increasingly strained and then altogether severed because of Degas's anti-Semitism and opposing political views.