Madame Loubens

Madame Loubens is a powerful portrait study by Edgar Degas, executed during a transitional period spanning 1864 to 1874. This exceptional work is classified as a drawing, created using a complex layered technique that includes charcoal and rich pastel strokes, augmented by red, black, and white chalk meticulously applied over an initial graphite sketch on beige wove paper.

The subject, Madame Loubens, is rendered with characteristic intensity, highlighting Degas's consistent focus on intimate portrayals of women during the 19th century. The lengthy, decade-long span of its stated creation suggests this was likely not a single session sketch, but rather a concentrated study of form and personality, exploring how light and shadow define character. Degas uses the contrast of the dark charcoal to model the precise structure of the face and define the sitter's dress, while the lighter chalks emphasize highlights, lending the portrait a sense of immediacy typical of the artist’s drawing process.

This important representation of 19th-century portraiture resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a major work from this period, the drawing is often studied for its technical brilliance and its role within Degas's developing style of realism. Due to its historical significance, the image is frequently reproduced, and high-quality prints of this remarkable drawing are widely available through various collections, often residing in the public domain. Degas's mastery of line and color on paper is fully evidenced in the striking character study of Madame Loubens.