Édouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait

Édouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait by Edgar Degas, created between 1863 and 1873, captures one of the most significant artistic relationships of the 19th century. This print is a sophisticated example of Degas’s experimentation in the graphic arts, utilizing a complex combination of etching, drypoint, and aquatint. The deliberate use of drypoint allows for rich, velvety lines and subtle tonal shifts that emphasize the texture and depth of the subject’s clothing and expression. This particular impression is identified as the third state of four, demonstrating Degas’s meticulous and iterative approach to developing his final composition, a hallmark of his printmaking practice.

The subject is Édouard Manet, Degas’s friend and artistic counterpart in the burgeoning French modern art scene. The highly focused, bust-length format provides a private look at the influential artist, moving beyond typical formal portraiture to capture psychological intensity. These intimate portraits of men reveal Degas’s talent for capturing character through quick, economical lines and varying densities of shadow.

The work resides in the prestigious collection of prints at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a major component of the museum's holdings, this piece provides valuable context regarding the Impressionist period’s approach to printmaking. Due to its age and historical significance, high-quality images of this unique study in portraiture are often available in the public domain, providing researchers and art enthusiasts continued access to these important nineteenth-century prints.