Auguste Degas

The intimate study Auguste Degas by Edgar Degas French, 1834–1917, offers essential insight into the formative period of the great French master, dating between 1854 and 1864. Created during a decade when Degas was transitioning from academic training to independent practice, this piece demonstrates his rigorous dedication to draftsmanship. The work is meticulously executed in graphite on buff laid paper. Degas employed careful, controlled line work combined with the subtle technique of stumping—the gentle blending of graphite to create soft transitions and modulated tones. The choice of buff laid paper, notable for its warm hue and the inherent inclusion of red and brown particles in its structure, provides an organic, textured ground that interacts effectively with the graphite shading.

Although classified as a print within the Art Institute of Chicago's system, the piece primarily functions as a preparatory or finished drawing, illustrating the foundational skills that would define Degas's later career in France. The emphasis on subtle tonal modeling and accurate representation aligns with the realist tradition prevalent in Paris during this era. Such early studies are vital documents, tracking how the young artist mastered light and form before his more experimental Impressionist phase. The Art Institute of Chicago preserves this important work in its collection, ensuring that high-quality images and related information, sometimes made available through public domain initiatives, remain accessible for scholarly research into the development of Degas's influential oeuvre. This complexity in classification underscores how works on paper from this period often served multiple functions as initial studies, finished compositions, or sources for eventual prints.