Who painted Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste)?

Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste) was painted by Edgar Degas in 1864.

Where can I see Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste)?

Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste)?

Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste)

Edgar Degas , 1864

Edouard Manet, Bust-Length Portrait (Manet en buste) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1864, this print presents a close‑up view of the French painter Édouard Manet.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1864, this print presents a close‑up view of the French painter Édouard Manet. Executed by Edgar Degas, the work combines etching, drypoint, and aquatint to render a reddish‑brown image on wove paper. The composition captures Manet in three‑quarter profile, his beard and curly hair rendered in fine, textured lines that convey a subdued, contemplative presence.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait focuses on Manet as a singular figure, emphasizing his thoughtful gaze directed downward and to the left. By isolating the sitter without surrounding narrative elements, Degas highlights the individual’s character and the artistic exchange between two leading figures of mid‑nineteenth‑century French art.

Technique & Style

Degas employed a hybrid printmaking process: the etched lines establish the basic contours, drypoint adds a velvety, burr‑rich edge, and aquatint supplies the uniform reddish‑brown tone that unifies the surface. The wove paper, slightly yellowed at the margins, contributes to the work’s aged appearance, while the interplay of line and tone creates a grainy, tactile quality.

History & Provenance

Though primarily identified as a realist, Degas’ association with Impressionist circles informs the work’s experimental approach to surface and atmosphere.

The print emerged during a period when Degas was exploring portraiture across various media, alongside his well‑known studies of dancers. Though primarily identified as a realist, Degas’ association with Impressionist circles informs the work’s experimental approach to surface and atmosphere. The piece has remained in the collection of major European institutions, reflecting its relevance to the study of 19th‑century French printmaking.

Artist & collection

Artist

Edgar Degas

Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.