Portret van de broer van de kunstenaar René Degas

The artwork Portret van de broer van de kunstenaar René Degas by Edgar Degas, created between 1861 and 1862, offers an intimate early study of the artist’s family and a key example of his foundational technical skill. Classified as a print executed on paper, this work documents René Degas, one of the artist’s younger brothers. During this formative period, Degas was deeply committed to refining his skills in portraiture and draftsmanship, often using his relatives as subjects to achieve highly structured and psychologically resonant images that prefigure his later mastery. This particular study showcases the precision Degas could achieve, relying on line and shadow to define form rather than color.

Degas experimented widely with graphic media during the early 1860s, a time when he was moving between traditional academic study and the emerging modern sensibilities of Parisian art. This print belongs to a significant body of work where the young artist, influenced by his intense study of Renaissance masters, sought to capture the character of the sitter through rigorous control over the medium. The composition focuses intently on René's face, utilizing subtle tonal variations typical of early nineteenth-century prints. This emphasis on defining human character was central to Degas's early development before he fully adopted the looser, more ephemeral execution associated with Impressionism later in the decade. As an important piece reflecting the formative years of Edgar Degas, this image is preserved in the prestigious collection of the Rijksmuseum. Artworks like this, reflecting the early career of a major master, often become available in the public domain for research and study purposes.