Madame Lisle and Madame Loubens

The drawing Madame Lisle and Madame Loubens by Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) offers a private study created between 1869 and 1872. This period marks a crucial transition in Degas's career, moving toward the modern subjects and candid depictions characteristic of his works associated with Impressionism.

Executed primarily in graphite on tan wove paper, this preliminary work demonstrates the artist’s meticulous preparatory methods. The medium allows for precise line work and subtle tonal variations in rendering the two figures. Importantly, the composition is squared in black crayon, a technique employed by Degas to facilitate the accurate transfer of the figures onto a larger canvas or into a subsequent printmaking process. This precise, preparatory study is a high-quality example of nineteenth-century French draftsmanship, preserved by being laid down on cream Japanese paper.

Degas frequently utilized drawings like this one to capture the unposed movements and intimate interactions of his subjects, a central focus of his mature style. While the identity and relationship of Madame Lisle and Madame Loubens are not fully documented, the piece aligns closely with the artist’s interest in contemporary portraiture and the depiction of dual figures in domestic or social settings. Acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it resides today, this important Degas drawing reveals the artist’s evolving approach to structure and composition before final execution. As a significant historical drawing now often available in the public domain, the technique displayed in this piece remains influential, serving as inspiration for fine art prints and further scholarship on the French master.