Three Studies of Ludovic Halévy Standing

Three Studies of Ludovic Halévy Standing, created by Edgar Degas in 1880, is a significant drawing exemplifying the artist's meticulous focus on private portraiture and the study of human posture. This piece is distinguished by its specialized medium: charcoal counterproof applied onto buff wove paper, a technique Degas utilized to refine and re-examine forms initially established in other sketches.

The subject is Ludovic Halévy (1834-1908), a celebrated French playwright and librettist who was a close confidant of the artist. Degas frequently used Halévy as a model, documenting him in unposed, intimate moments that reflect the casual familiarity of their relationship. The classification as a drawing, executed during the period of 1876 to 1900, reflects Degas’s consistent emphasis on draftsmanship, often setting his rigorous approach apart from his Impressionist contemporaries.

The counterproof process, achieved by pressing a secondary sheet of paper onto an existing charcoal drawing, effectively transfers and reverses the pigment. This results in an image with a softer, sometimes ghost-like quality, allowing Degas to observe the figures anew and prioritize atmospheric effect over sharp line definition. The three slightly varied standing studies of Halévy highlight the artist’s enduring interest in sequential movement and the detailed capture of momentary gestures.

This drawing is a key example of preparatory work within the French art movement of the late 19th century. The work resides in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art. As the original piece is frequently studied for insights into Degas's working methods, high-quality digital prints derived from the public domain source are widely used in scholarly research and art reference.