The Loge
Pierre Auguste Renoir
(1841 - 1919)

First, they were in the emperor's box in the coliseum. Today, they are in the luxury suites at the ball park. But in the 19th century the power seats were in the loge section, the "Diamond Horseshoe," that ringed the auditoriums of theaters in Europe and America. No one can explain it, but the loge attracted many 19th century artists--Degas, Mary Cassatt, Renoir--as settings for paintings. Perhaps they got free tickets when they brought their easels and paint boxes to the theater.