Young Woman in Black

Young Woman in Black by Edgar Degas, created between 1861 and 1865, is a significant early work demonstrating the artist's rapid skill development in portraiture. Classified technically as a Drawing due to its support material, this compelling piece utilizes oil paint applied directly to wove paper. The execution of oil on paper, rather than traditional stretched canvas, suggests that the work likely functioned as a preparatory study or quick sketch, allowing Degas to explore the sitter’s form and coloration with notable speed and fluidity while conserving materials.

During the critical period of 1851 to 1875, French art was undergoing dramatic shifts, moving definitively away from academic history painting toward the representation of contemporary life and Realism. While Degas, trained in classical methods, maintained a deep respect for historical masters, he was actively embracing subjects that defined modern urban existence, particularly focusing on individual portraiture. Although the identity of the sitter depicted in Young Woman in Black is unknown, her somber, formal attire contrasts sharply with the swift, experimental brushstrokes employed by the artist. This tension between formal subject and exploratory technique marks the piece as characteristic of the artist’s developing style, bridging his early, tightly controlled period with the Impressionist innovations that would soon define his career.

This intimate study provides valuable insight into Degas's handling of pigment and composition during his formative years, before he became globally renowned for his images of dancers and racetrack scenes. The work is a key example of how the artist honed his focused approach to capturing individual character. Today, this important French painting resides in the extensive collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., adding depth to their holdings of 19th-century masters. As the artwork has entered the public domain, high-quality prints reflecting the original texture of oil on wove paper are often made available for scholarly study and public appreciation worldwide.