Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait by Edgar Degas, executed in 1857, is a foundational work detailing the artist in his early twenties, capturing him before he solidified his identity as a painter of modern life. This intimate drawing utilizes black chalk and graphite, skillfully heightened with white chalk, applied to heavy beige wove paper. The precise application of white highlights, particularly around the collar and face, suggests a specific light source, lending the composition a focused intensity and volume. Created during the period when Degas was transitioning from academic study to independent artistic practice, the piece reflects his deep engagement with Renaissance masters and portraiture fundamentals, underscoring the importance of meticulous draftsmanship in his education.

As one of the critical self-portraits created by the artist, the work serves as an important psychological study of the young man, capturing the serious, penetrating gaze that would characterize Degas’s later depictions of the human figure. Unlike his eventual focus on ballet dancers and laundresses, this early study of men reveals the pervasive influence of Ingres and the established tradition of formal drawing in mid-19th century France. The drawing technique demonstrates the core skill that underpinned all of Degas’s subsequent innovations. Today, this masterwork resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is frequently studied as an exemplary piece of early French realism. Because of its age and profound cultural importance, the image is often reproduced, and high-quality prints derived from the public domain are widely sought after by collectors and art historians alike.