Édouard Manet, Seated, Holding His Hat

The work Édouard Manet, Seated, Holding His Hat by Edgar Degas is a significant graphite and black chalk drawing created between 1863 and 1873. This portrait captures Degas’s fellow artist, Édouard Manet, known for his revolutionary contributions to modern French painting. The medium utilized, a combination of delicate graphite lines overlaid with the richer texture of black chalk, emphasizes the subject’s form while allowing for a subtle contrast between light and shadow. The drawing technique suggests a study or an intimate preparatory sketch, characteristic of Degas’s focus on capturing the immediate and unposed quality of his subjects.

The sitter, Manet, was a close contemporary and intellectual sparring partner of Degas. Unlike formal commissioned portraits, this image feels spontaneous; Manet is shown seated, relaxed, with his hat resting in his hands. This exploration of prominent men within the Impressionist circle was a frequent theme for Degas, who was fascinated by the internal life of his artistic peers. The piece serves not only as a portrait of a pivotal figure in 19th-century French art but also provides insight into the creative relationship between two masters shaping the trajectory of modernism.

This exceptional drawing resides in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While the original remains a fragile study of line and tone, its importance ensures that high-quality prints derived from the piece are widely available. Given the work’s age, it often features in collections designated as public domain, allowing broader access for students and researchers studying the portraiture styles and drawings of the 19th-century French avant-garde.