Édouard Manet, Seated, Turned to the Right

The influential work Édouard Manet, Seated, Turned to the Right was created by Edgar Degas between 1863 and 1873. This intimate portrait captures Degas’s friend and contemporary, the celebrated painter Édouard Manet, shown seated with his body slightly angled away from the viewer. The artwork utilizes the complex medium of etching and drypoint, techniques that Degas employed to render sophisticated character studies. This particular impression is significant as it represents the first state of the four known states, capturing the earliest iteration of the composition before further reworking of the plate.

Degas frequently explored printmaking, employing both the precise chemical dissolution inherent in etching and the expressive, velvety lines characteristic of drypoint. This combination allowed for unique textural variations in the final prints, particularly evident in the early states where the burr created by the drypoint needle is strongest, lending a soft density to the shadows. The long production period spanning a decade suggests Degas revisited the copper plate over many years, perhaps refining the psychological depth of this portrait of men.

As a significant example of graphic arts depicting a major figure in Modernism, the print offers unique insight into the relationship between the two artists who helped shape the Parisian avant-garde. Degas, known for his unrelenting exploration of the human form, utilized subtle shadowing and delicate outlines to convey the sitter’s contemplative mood. This essential historical piece resides in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.