1857
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Self-Portrait is a 1857 by Edgar Degas, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Degas stares straight at you, hat tipped low, coat collar turned up. The face is half in shadow, eyes sharp and unblinking. This print is rare—he only made one self-portrait like this. He built the dark areas slowly, scratching lines into the metal plate over and over. The wiped surface leaves a soft, smoky look, like fog in the room. For more portraits that feel this direct, look up the technique sfumato.
In the 1850s Degas frequently used himself as a model, but he made only one printed self-portrait. Through successive stages of biting the plate and layers of crosshatching, Degas gradually built areas of dark tone. In this impression, Degas added etched lines on the face, hat, and coat and carefully wiped his copper plate to create atmospheric effects. His clearly drawn eyes directly engage the viewer, resulting in a psychologically powerful and intense portrait of the young artist at age 23. This impression was dedicated to his friend, the painter and sculptor Paul Albert Bartholomé.
This early self-portrait is especially rare among Edgar Degas's prints, and few impressions are known to exist.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
