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Edgar Degas

Paul Mathey

1882

graphite

paperboard

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Edgar Degas is a 1882 graphite by Paul Mathey, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Paul Mathey
When & what style?: 1882 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image depicts a sketch of a man in a suit, standing in front of an easel with a canvas. He is holding a cloth in his left hand and appears to be in the process of painting. To his left is a small table with a top hat on it. The man's attire suggests that he is a gentleman of some means, and the presence of the easel and canvas implies that he is an artist. The sketch is rendered in a loose, expressive style, with bold lines and minimal detail. The artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and volume in the image, drawing the viewer's eye to the central figure. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.