Edgar Degas
French, 1834-1917
Self-Portrait, About 1857-58
Oil on paper, laid on canvas
In the 1850s and 1860s Degas painted nearly twenty self-portraits. This one was made in Italy when he was about twenty-three years old. The work's dramatic intensity results from the contrasts between light and dark, compact composition, free handling of paint, and impassive expression and sharply focused gaze. In a picture never intended for public display, Degas presented an intimate yet uncompromising view of himself.
