2-740-150 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Self Portrait, 1857. In the 1850s Degas frequently used himself as a model, but he made only one self-portrait in a print medium, of which only ten known impressions of the first three states exist. Through successive stages of biting the plate, Degas built up the darks gradually, using layers of crosshatching to achieve large areas of tone. The third and most successful state—like this impression—is the most dramatic due to additional tone and etched lines on the face, hat, and coat. An especially beautiful sheet, the museum’s Self-Portrait was printed from a plate carefully wiped to create atmospheric, chiaroscuro effects that allow the clearly drawn eyes to look directly at the viewer, achieving a psychologically powerful and intense portrait of the artist at age 23. This impression was inscribed by the artist to his friend, the painter and sculptor Paul Albert Bartholomé.