Madame Lisle

Madame Lisle by Edgar Degas (1861-1871) is an intimate and expressive drawing executed primarily in charcoal and pastel. This exceptional work captures a singular woman, identified only as Madame Lisle, rendered with the nuanced draftsmanship characteristic of Degas’s early to mid-career development. The artist utilized a sophisticated blend of materials, applying red, black, and white chalks onto beige wove paper to achieve varied textures, tonal depth, and a sense of immediacy.

The broad decade-long span of the work’s creation (1861-1871) reflects a transitional period in Degas's evolution, moving from the precision of academic training toward the experimental color and line associated with his later Impressionist period. The strong focus on Portraits and the careful study of Women in modern Parisian life became a defining characteristic of his mature output. Here, the soft blending of charcoal contrasts sharply with the quick, decisive strokes of pastel used for highlights, demonstrating the artist’s mastery of the dessin as a finished art form rather than a mere preliminary sketch.

This meticulous study offers valuable insight into the processes of the artist, underscoring why Degas is often regarded as one of history's greatest draftsmen. The high quality of the materials and the complex blending of techniques ensure that the portrait of Madame Lisle retains its visual power centuries later. The work is held within the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a key example of Degas’s non-ballet figural studies. Because such historical works are increasingly recognized as part of the public domain, high-resolution prints of this important portrait are widely available for private study and appreciation.