Portrait of a Woman
1878-1880
Edgar Degas captures a woman with a striking, almost startled gaze in this intimate pastel portrait from around 1880. Her dark, choppy hair frames a face flushed with rosy cheeks and bright green eyes, while a simple red dress with a white collar grounds the composition. Degas, a master of the Impressionist movement, often used pastels to achieve this soft, powdery texture that makes the subject feel incredibly alive and present. Unlike his famous ballerinas, this portrait focuses on a quiet, direct moment, signed simply 'Degas' in the corner.
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