Like many of Domergue's paintings, this magnetic oil-on-panel represents - as the title suggests - a couple at the Paris Opera. However, the man in the background is barely detailed, as if he is almost part of the background. On the contrary, this magnificent woman with an interminable slender neck and red hair is the scene's protagonist. 

Her lengthy lashes, almost-lacquered red lips and deep neckline give this beautiful woman of the Roaring 20's almost a pin-up allure, forecasting the fashion that will characterize the 50's.

Domergue's brushstrokes are skilful and decisive.
The perfect balance between detailed elements and elements hinted with solely a brushstroke are typical of Degas's art, of whom Jean Gabriel Domergue was a pupil. At the same time, the vivid palette is inherited from Toulouse Lautrec.

Jean Gabriel Domergue redefined the image of feminine beauty with his paintings of elegant Parisian women. Domergue studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was only 17 when he first exhibited at the 1906 Salon des Artistes Français. While he received early recognition for his landscapes, he became famous in the '20s for painting a new type of casual, confident Parisian lady that deviated from traditional feminine tropes. With her long, slender neck, thin frame, and coquettish gaze, Domergue's Parisienne epitomized the decade's look and is considered the precursor of the pinup.

Jean-Gabriel Domergue also made his name as a designer of Art Deco posters with elegant women as an eye-catchers. Nadine Lhopitalier, an actress and later wife of Baron Edmond de Rothschild, modelled for him for a long time. Before Domergue devoted himself to this subject, he had been painting for twenty years. His central theme was the landscape, with beach scenes as his favourite. As of 1927, the artist lived in Cannes, where he played an active role in cultural life and found wealthy clientele for his female portraits. He had the Villa Fiesole (later: Villa Domergue) built in 1934, where many celebrities, including Gina Lollobrigida and Brigitte Bardot, came to pose.