Self-portrait
circa 1854
Before he became the famous Impressionist known for capturing ballerinas in motion, a young Edgar Degas sat down to paint himself in a moment of quiet introspection. Created around 1854, this moody self-portrait shows the artist with a thick beard and heavy-lidded eyes, seemingly lost in thought against a murky, olive-green background. The loose, expressive brushstrokes on his white collar hint at the revolutionary style he would later develop, even though he was still studying classical techniques at the time. It is a rare, intimate glimpse into the mind of a master before he found his signature voice.
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