James-Jacques-Joseph Tissot (1836–1902)
ca. 1867–68
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
59 5/8 x 44 in. (151.4 x 111.8 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.161
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking portrait, *James-Jacques-Joseph Tiss (1836–1902)*, painted by Edgar Degas around 1867–68, captures the French artist James Tissot in a moment of poised elegance. Rendered in oil on canvas—a medium Degas mastered for its luminous depth and versatility—the work measures an impressive 59⅝ × 44 inches, commanding attention in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings collection acquired through the Rogers Fund in 9. Degas, then in his early thirties and transitioning from classical influences toward the innovative techniques that would define Impressionism, depicts his con...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas · 1834–1917
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...