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Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Self-Portrait
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas
French, 1834–1917
Self-Portrait
c. 1857–58
Degas made nearly forty self-portraits between 1854 and 1864. During this period, he traveled extensively in Italy, studying Old Master paintings and developing his own style. The artist approached self-portraits as a platform for experimentation and most remained in his studio until his death. In this image, Degas presents himself in a striking hat, white painting smock, and orange cravat. The delicate modeling of the face, much of which is in shadow, contrasts with the unpainted area in the bottom left corner.
Medium
oil on paper, mounted on canvas
Dimensions
10 1/4 x 7 1/2 in. (26 x 19.1 cm)
Frame: 16 3/8 × 13 3/4 × 3 3/4 in. (41.6 × 34.9 × 9.5 cm)
Object Number
1955.544
Acquisition
Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955
Status
On View
Image Caption
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Self-Portrait, c. 1857–58, oil on paper, mounted on canvas. Clark Art Institute, 1955.544
Select Bibliography
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Cowling, Elizabeth, and Richard Kendall. Picasso Looks at Degas. Exhibition catalogue. Williamstown, MA.: Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute; Barcelona: Museu Picasso, 2010.
Reynaerts, Jenny and Stella Versluis-Van Dongen. "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Edgar Degas Inspired by Rembrandt." The Rijksmuseum Bulletin 59, no. 2 (2011): 102133.
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Marcel Guérin, Paris (d. 1948); Daniel Guérin, Paris, his son, by descent, sold to Durand-Ruel, 20 April 1948; [Durand-Ruel, New York, sold to Clark, 20 April 1948, as Portrait de Degas au chapeau mou]¹; Robert Sterling Clark (1948–55); Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, 1955.
1. The invoice is dated 16 April 1948; payment was received on 20 April 1948.