Self-Portrait with White Collar

Self-Portrait with White Collar is an intimate early work by Edgar Degas, executed in 1857. This painting was created when the artist was only 23, during a foundational period of rigorous academic training that preceded his eventual move toward Impressionism. The piece employs a nuanced and specific technique, rendered in oil on paper that was subsequently mounted onto canvas, a method utilized by Degas to achieve specific textural effects while preserving the spontaneity of the paper support.

The composition focuses tightly on the artist's face and shoulders, capturing a reserved, intense gaze. Degas presents himself in sober, formal attire, his dark suit providing a dramatic tonal contrast to the stiff white collar from which the painting derives its title. This careful rendering of contemporary, yet formal, clothing anchors the work firmly within the mid-19th century—the 1851 to 1875 period when French art was navigating the transition from Neoclassicism to Realism. The handling of the brushwork here is controlled and deliberate, emphasizing sculptural form and tonal depth rather than the broken color and fleeting light that would characterize the artist’s later mature works.

As one of several important self-portraits created by the young French artist, this canvas provides invaluable insight into Degas's early artistic psychology and technical development. The meticulous detail and psychological depth evident in this self-study demonstrate the rigorous early foundation that allowed Degas to later reinvent genres, even while he was primarily known for his depictions of Parisian leisure, racetracks, and ballet dancers. This distinguished painting, a key document of Degas's formative years, is part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of its historical and artistic significance, high-quality prints of this artwork are frequently available through public domain archives, allowing broad access to the work of the young master.