Artwork
Self-Portrait (Edgar Degas, par lui-même)
Self-Portrait (Edgar Degas, par lui-même) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1857, this etching presents Edgar Degas depicting himself. Executed on laid paper, the image captures the artist in a dark coat and wide-brimmed hat, his gaze directed forward. The composition is stark, relying on the contrast between ink‑filled lines and the paper’s pale surface to convey a sober, introspective presence.
Subject & Meaning
The work functions as a straightforward self‑portrait, offering a glimpse of Degan’s own appearance rather than an allegorical or narrative scene. The serious expression and high‑collared attire suggest a formal, perhaps contemplative, self‑presentation, aligning with the artist’s early interest in realistic observation of the individual.
Technique & Style
Degas employed a traditional intaglio etching process, incising the design into a metal plate so that ink remains in the recessed lines. The resulting prints display rough, scratchy strokes that convey texture—particularly in the coat’s fabric and the hat’s brim—while the shallow depth of the lines creates a crisp, immediate quality typical of quick, observational sketches.
History & Provenance
Though the artist is often linked with Impressionism, he identified as a realist and rarely painted en plein air.
The piece belongs to Degas’s early printmaking period, preceding his later focus on dancers and pastel studies. Though the artist is often linked with Impressionism, he identified as a realist and rarely painted en plein air. This self‑portrait, produced when he was in his mid‑twenties, reflects his formative engagement with multiple media, including etching, which he would continue to explore throughout his career.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
