The Engraver Joseph Tourny

The Engraver Joseph Tourny, created by Edgar Degas in 1857, is an early and highly detailed example of the artist's engagement with the techniques of printmaking. This significant etching, which exists only in a single state, captures an intimate portrait of the figure Joseph Tourny, whose profession likely interested the young Degas as he began experimenting with reproductive methods.

The challenging medium of etching allowed Degas to explore line quality and the dramatic effects achievable through varying pressure on the needle, skills he would later refine throughout his career. This specific impression, recorded as the fourth printing executed on laid paper, provides valuable insight into the physical life of the printing plate itself. Reflecting the experimental nature of early prints, the plate shows signs of wear, including corrosion that has been partly cleaned, alongside additional scratches apparent on the paper’s surface.

As an important nineteenth-century portrait, this work demonstrates Degas’s sharp focus on the psychological realism of his subject. While the artist is known primarily for his later dynamic depictions of women in motion, Degas created several penetrating portraits of men and professional acquaintances during his formative years. This detailed study of Joseph Tourny showcases the depth of the artist’s early commitment to observation and realistic character depiction. The print is currently held in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a key document of Degas’s artistic progression.