An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Sheet of Studies and Sketches1858
Edgar Degas
Son of a Parisian banker, Edgar Degas enrolled in law school in 1853 following his father's wishes. But he had already shown an interest in art and had also registered to copy at the Louvre. In 1855 he entered the École des Beaux-Arts and became a student of Louis Lamothe (1822-1869), a former pupil of Ingres (q.v.). One year later Degas made the traditional journey to Italy, remaining there for three years. He visited family members in Naples and Florence and attended life classes at the Villa Medici in Rome. A visit to Normandy in 1861 may have introduced him to the racetrack. In Paris he continued to study at the Louvre, where he met Manet (q.v.) in 1862. Apart from his continuous interest in portraiture and history painting, Degas began to pay attention to subjects of modern life. Between 1865 and 1870, he exhibited at the Salon. At the time of the Franco-Prussian War, he enlisted in the artillery, but because of his poor eyesight he served (with Manet) in the infantry. After the war he traveled first to London and, in 1872-73, visited his uncle and brothers who had a cotton business in New Orleans. Degas participated in the first impressionist exhibition of 1874. He continued to exhibit with these artists until 1886 but never completely considered himself a member of the group, preferring to call himself a realist or naturalist. While many of the impressionists painted en plein air, Degas worked with models in his studio and, later in his career, from his imagination. In addition to painting, he experimented often with monotypes, engraving, pastels, sculpture, and photography. He traveled extensively-London, Naples, Spain, Morocco, and Switzerland-but continued to draw his subject matter from modern-day Paris. Other recurring themes would be the female nude and the ballet dancer. After the impressionist exhibition of 1886, Degas no longer participated in group shows. Instead he sold his works to private dealers such as Durand-Ruel and Ambroise Vollard. In the 1890s he began his own art collection, which, besides many works on paper, included paintings by such artists as Ingres, Cézanne (q.v.), Delacroix (q.v.), Gauguin (q.v.), and van Gogh (q.v.). His own art at the time became characterized by broader strokes of paint, charcoal, and pastel and the use of more vibrant colors, partly because of problems with his vision. His failing eyesight and poor health caused him to abandon his pursuit of art during the last years of his life.
Degas traveled to Florence, Italy, in July 1858, where he made this sheet of studies. The featured imagery is fragmented and dissociated, suggesting the young artist's engagement with art of the past. The refined female head drawn at center in graphite was copied from a drawing then attributed to Leonardo da Vinci in the Uffizi Gallery's collection. Other sketches record Degas's responses to Florentine sculpture. At upper right, he sketched an informal portrait of his cousin Giulia Bellelli, probably from life.
The date Degas wrote on this drawing is incorrect; he didn't visit Florence until 1858, and must have inscribed the sheet years later.
graphite, pen and dark brown ink, and watercolor on thick ivory wove paper
Sheet: 30.4 x 23.5 cm (11 15/16 x 9 1/4 in.)
John L. Severance Fund
In the gentle embrace of July 1858, the sun cast its golden glow over Florence, Italy. It was here, amidst the timeless beauty of the city's art and architecture, that a young artist named Edgar Degas found himself entranced. With a sketchbook in hand, he sought to capture the essence of the world around him, his pencil moving fluidly across the paper.
On a single sheet, fragmented sketches began to emerge, each one a whisper of his thoughts and feelings. The imagery danced before him, reflecting a mind that was both adventurous and deeply introspective, caught in the web of history's great masters. At the center of his canvas lay a refined female head, delicately sketched in graphite. This image, inspired by a drawing attributed to the legendary Leonardo da Vinci, seemed to embody the elegance and complexity of Florentine art. The lines flowed seamlessly, suggesting beauty and grace, yet also hinting at the artist's own struggle to find a voice amidst the echoes of the past.
Surrounding this focal point, other sketches revealed Degas's connection to the sculptures that adorned the city. His hand moved instinctively, recording the life that surrounded him—capturing the beauty in the stone, the weight of history, and the vibrant pulse of creativity that lay beneath the surface. Each stroke was a conversation with the masters, a silent dialogue that transcended time.
And then, there was Giulia Bellelli, his cousin, whose informal portrait graced the upper right corner of the page. It was likely sketched from life, a fleeting moment captured as she sat nearby. Her presence, casual yet filled with the weight of familial ties, added a personal layer to the collection of studies. Degas sought to capture not just her likeness but the essence of their shared moments, the bonds of kinship wrapped in soft lines and gentle shading.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, Degas continued to translate his thoughts into art—finding inspiration in every fragment of existence, in every gesture of those around him. It was a peaceful pursuit, creating a narrative through his sketches that spoke of beauty, history, and the quiet connections that weave through our lives.
About the artist
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