Artwork
Achille De Gas in the Uniform of a Cadet
Achille De Gas in the Uniform of a Cadet is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
No further details about the artist’s handling, surface condition, or specific stylistic traits are provided in the sources.
The work is an oil painting on canvas, with the artist applying oil paint to a woven textile support. According to the catalogue entry, the medium is oil on canvas, and the dimensions are 64.5 cm in height by 46.2 cm in width. The work is classified as a painting and belongs to the portrait genre.
No further details about the artist’s handling, surface condition, or specific stylistic traits are provided in the sources.
History & Provenance
Achille De Gas in the Uniform of a Cadet is an 1856 oil on canvas portrait by Edgar Degas. The work descended through the artist’s brother, René de Gas, and was sold at Hôtel Drouot in Paris on 10 November 1927 (lot 73). It was subsequently acquired by the dealer Paul Durand‑Ruel, who operated in both New York and Paris, and entered the collection of Chester Dale.
Dale later gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains in the museum’s holdings.
The painting Achille De Gas in the Uniform of a Cadet belongs to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was gifted to the museum in 1963 by Chester Dale, whose acquisition trace began with a Hôtel Drouot sale in Paris in 1927 and passed through the dealer Paul Durand‑Ruel. The work remains in the gallery’s permanent collection and no exhibition record appears in the sources examined so far.
Overview
This oil on canvas portrait, created by Edgar Degas in 1856, depicts his younger brother, Achille De Gas, in military attire. The painting exemplifies Degas' early commitment to realism, a style he favored over Impressionism, despite his later association with the movement. It showcases the artist's foundational skills in figure study and draftsmanship, capturing a formal moment in his family's life before his well-known focus shifted to dancers and urban scenes.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents Achille De Gas, the artist's younger sibling, in a dark blue cadet uniform, complete with a hat and gold embellishments. He stands formally, one hand on his hip and the other resting on the hilt of a sword. His serious demeanor and dignified posture convey a sense of gravitas and youthful importance, reflecting the formal expectations associated with military service during the period.
Context
Created early in his career, this portrait offers insight into Degas' initial artistic trajectory. While he would later become known for his depictions of Parisian life, particularly ballet dancers and laundresses, this work underscores his early engagement with familial subjects and traditional portraiture. It predates the full development of Impressionism, aligning instead with the realist principles that Degas consistently championed throughout his career.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.
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