Marguerite De Gas, the Artist's Sister (Marguerite De Gas, soeur de l'artiste)

Marguerite De Gas, the Artist's Sister (Marguerite De Gas, soeur de l'artiste) is a striking early portrait executed by Edgar Degas between 1860 and 1862. This sensitive rendering is classified as a print, utilizing the demanding techniques of etching and drypoint on paper. The subject is the artist's sister, Marguerite De Gas, who would later marry Paul Valpinçon, the son of the family friend who frequently hosted Degas in Normandy.

Degas created this piece during a pivotal period in his career, roughly corresponding to the years 1851 to 1875, when he was intensely focused on academic drawing and intimate family studies before transitioning fully into the Impressionist movement. This French artist frequently depicted family members and friends, using them as models to refine his skills in capturing psychological depth. The work captures a subtle intensity typical of Degas’s early portraiture, presenting Marguerite with a quiet, reflective gaze, achieved through economical but powerful use of line.

The choice of etching combined with drypoint allows for fine linear detail and rich textural variation. Drypoint, in particular, involves drawing directly onto the copper plate with a sharp needle, lifting a burr of metal that results in a velvety, dark line when inked. This technique is visible in the dense shading around the sitter’s hair and clothing, giving the print a depth and richness unattainable through pure etching alone. Although Degas is best known for his oils and pastels, he was an enthusiastic and experimental printmaker throughout his life.

This impression of the early print Marguerite De Gas, the Artist's Sister is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Its existence provides valuable insight into the foundational skills Degas developed as a draftsman. Works demonstrating the early mastery of the medium by Degas are often available for study and reference through public domain resources, securing the artist's legacy as a versatile master of the graphic arts.