Study for “Madame Théodore Gobillard” (Yves Morisot)

Study for “Madame Théodore Gobillard” (Yves Morisot) by Edgar Degas, created in 1869, is an insightful preparatory drawing that captures the likeness of Yves Morisot, the subject of a later painted portrait. This technical study is executed in graphite on buff tracing paper, which has been carefully mounted onto laid paper for stability. Crucially, the sheet is visibly "squared," a precise technical method Degas utilized to facilitate the accurate transfer and enlargement of the drawing onto the final canvas.

The drawing is a compelling example of the artist’s focus on formal portraiture during the late 1860s, documenting Parisian women connected to his artistic circle. Yves Morisot was the sister of the celebrated Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot and wife of Théodore Gobillard. Degas captures her features with an economy of line, focusing on the essential structure of the head and the sitter’s characteristic pose. The simplicity of the graphite allows viewers to observe the artist’s decisions regarding composition and balance before committing to paint.

This important piece demonstrates Degas's rigorous methodology in developing fully realized portraits, revealing his transition from academic rigor toward a more modern sensibility in his figure studies. The preparatory drawing is held within the comprehensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a seminal example of Degas’s preliminary process, high-resolution archival prints are frequently produced, ensuring the work remains accessible for scholarly research and the appreciation of this nineteenth-century drawing master.