An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Self-Portrait1857
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.
In the 1850s Degas frequently used himself as a model, but he made only one printed self-portrait. Through successive stages of biting the plate and layers of crosshatching, Degas gradually built areas of dark tone. In this impression, Degas added etched lines on the face, hat, and coat and carefully wiped his copper plate to create atmospheric effects. His clearly drawn eyes directly engage the viewer, resulting in a psychologically powerful and intense portrait of the young artist at age 23. This impression was dedicated to his friend, the painter and sculptor Paul Albert Bartholomé.
This early self-portrait is especially rare among Edgar Degas's prints, and few impressions are known to exist.
etching and drypoint
Platemark: 23 x 14.5 cm (9 1/16 x 5 11/16 in.); Sheet: 31.5 x 22.6 cm (12 3/8 x 8 7/8 in.)
John L. Severance Fund
In the quiet corridors of the 1850s, a young artist named Edgar Degas found himself drawn to the reflective gaze of a mirror. In the solitude of his studio, where dust danced softly in the muted light, he would often stand before his own image, grappling with the essence of his identity. He was a creator, yes, but also a seeker—searching for connection, understanding, and the stories that lay hidden within the depths of his own being.
Amidst the clatter of Parisian life, Degas turned to his craft, embracing both the familiar and the uncharted. He embarked on a journey with a single copper plate, his only companion in this intricate dance of creation. With deliberate hands, he etched away the surface, biting into the metal with a precision that mirrored the painstaking growth of his own artistic spirit. Layer upon layer, he built an atmosphere rich with shadow and light, revealing the depths of his thoughts and emotions.
As the plate transformed under his careful touches, Degas wielded his tools like a sculptor would mold clay. He added fine lines to his face—a furrowed brow, a gentle smile, the graceful curve of a hat perched atop his head, and the elegant draping of a coat that spoke of his time. Each stroke was a whisper, a silent story unfolding in the stillness of his studio.
When at last he wiped the plate, a soft sheen emerged, creating an ethereal quality that gave life to his creation. The young artist now stared back at him with eyes that seemed to hold all the weight of his aspirations and doubts. They pierced through the viewer, inviting a connection that was psychologically profound, a uniquely intimate exchange between creator and observer.
This striking impression, at the tender age of 23, was not merely a self-portrait but a dedication—a heartfelt tribute to a dear friend, the painter and sculptor Paul Albert Bartholomé. It was through this piece that Degas not only revealed his artistry but also forged a bond of understanding and camaraderie, a shared language among the artists of his time. Thus, within the quiet solitude of his studio, he etched not only an image but a story—his story, and the stories of friendships woven in the fabric of the ever-evolving art world around him.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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