René-Hilaire De Gas, Grandfather of the Artist

René-Hilaire De Gas, Grandfather of the Artist, executed by Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) between 1856 and 1857, is a significant early achievement in the graphic arts that anticipates the artist's later mastery of line. This intimate portrait captures Degas’s paternal grandfather, René-Hilaire De Gas, whose imposing presence appears frequently in the artist's foundational sketches and portraits.

The medium employed is etching and drypoint, techniques Degas was experimenting with extensively during his early twenties as he refined his draftsmanship. This print is distinguished by its material quality: blackish-brown ink pressed onto ivory laid paper. The dual application of etching-acid biting into the plate to create fine lines-and drypoint, which directly scores the plate to raise a burr, lends texture and depth to the sitter’s face and cloak. The drypoint burr is especially visible in the rich, velvety darkness surrounding the figure, demonstrating Degas’s rapid acquisition of printmaking skill.

Created shortly after Degas returned to France from his academic studies in Italy, the work bridges the gap between the strict classicism he admired and the emerging Realist sensibility of the mid-19th century. Although portraits like this were often preparatory studies, this finished impression stands as a strong example of the artist's emerging focus on character and psychological observation.

This important early print is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As works of this nature continue to enter the public domain, they offer essential documentation of the formative years of Degas, one of the most important figures in modern art history.