Portrait of a Young Woman
ca. 1885
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
10 3/4 x 8 3/4 in. (27.3 x 22.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.183
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate world of Edgar Degas *Portrait of a Young Woman* (ca. 188), a delicate oil on canvas measuring just 10 3/4 x 8 3/4 inches. This small-scale gem from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings collection captures the essence of late 19th-century French portraiture, gifted through the renowned H. O. Havemeyer Collection in 1929. Degas, a master associated with Impressionism yet rooted in Realism, often favored such modest formats for personal studies, allowing for close-up psychological depth. Degas (1834–1917) broke from traditional posed portraits, infusing his...
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 ...