Madame Théodore Gobillard (Yves Morisot, 1838–1893)

Madame Théodore Gobillard (Yves Morisot, 1838–1893) is a significant oil on canvas painting created by Edgar Degas in 1869. The work is a sensitive, psychological study of the sitter, Yves Morisot, who was the younger sister of the renowned Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot. This intimate canvas captures Madame Gobillard within a quiet domestic interior, utilizing the genre of portraiture to explore the psychological depth and contemplative mood of contemporary women. Degas, known for his masterful observation of modern life, frames the subject in a moment of stillness, characteristic of his developing style during this crucial period of his career.

Degas handles the oil paint with careful, structured modeling, allowing the rich shadows of the deep interior to contrast subtly with the illumination highlighting Madame Gobillard’s face and refined attire. Unlike the more broken brushwork often associated with Impressionism, this piece emphasizes classical draftsmanship, showcasing Degas's rigorous training even as he engaged with scenes of modern Parisian life. The composition of this formal interior scene is carefully balanced, lending a reserved dignity to the casual, private setting. This portrait serves as both a personal record of a prominent artistic family and a commentary on the guarded quietude of high-bourgeois life in the late 1860s.

The painting is housed in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a critical reference for scholars studying 19th-century French painting. As the original artwork is now in the public domain, high-quality archival prints and reference materials of this important canvas are widely accessible, allowing broader study of Degas’s masterful approach to depicting women in interior settings.