Joseph-Henri Altès (1826–1895)

The painting Joseph-Henri Altès (1826–1895) by Edgar Degas, executed in 1868, is a highly focused portrait rendered in oil on canvas. This piece captures the likeness of Joseph-Henri Altès, a distinguished French flautist, composer, and conductor who was a prominent figure in the Paris Opéra and an acquaintance of the artist. Degas utilized a controlled, relatively tight brushwork characteristic of his pre-Impressionist style, focusing intensely on the facial features and the severe profile view adopted by the sitter.

This study exemplifies Degas’s consistent interest in capturing sophisticated men from the Parisian artistic and social milieu. Altès is depicted in serious contemplation, embodying the dedication required of his profession. The strict profile composition, one of the primary classifications for this work, eliminates extraneous background detail and places the entire emphasis on the psychological intensity of the subject. While Degas later became celebrated for his images of dancers and racehorses, early works like this demonstrate his foundational mastery of formal portraiture and individualized character studies. The clarity of the lines and the subdued, yet rich, palette contribute to the solemn focus of the profile.

The painting remains a significant example of Degas's portrait output from the late 1860s, documenting a crucial moment in his artistic development. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this important work, ensuring its preservation for study by scholars and the public. As a publicly available artwork, high-quality images and prints of this key profile portrait by Degas are accessible globally.