Self-Portrait with White Collar

Edgar Degas, c. 1857

The face of a young man with peachy-colored skin and dark hair fills this vertical painting. The man is lit from our left but is angled to slightly to our right, so his face is mostly in shadow. He looks at us from the corners of large, dark eyes. He has a straight nose, and his full lips are set in a line. He has a moustache and a trimmed beard that appears to connect under his chin, though this area is loosely painted so details are difficult to make out. His black hair is parted to one side and curls in a wave over his high forehead. Dark lapels connect over a white undergarment or scarf around his neck. The background is filled in with a chestnut-brown wash, and brushstrokes are visible throughout.
Artist
Edgar Degas
Date
c. 1857
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on paper on canvas
Dimensions
20.5 × 15 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

The face of a young man with peachy-colored skin and dark hair fills this vertical painting. The man is lit from our left but is angled to slightly to our right, so his face is mostly in shadow. He looks at us from the corners of large, dark eyes. He has a straight nose, and his full lips are set in a line. He has a moustache and a trimmed beard that appears to connect under his chin, though this area is loosely painted so details are difficult to make out. His black hair is parted to one side and curls in a wave over his high forehead. Dark lapels connect over a white undergarment or scarf around his neck. The background is filled in with a chestnut-brown wash, and brushstrokes are visible throughout.

Edgar Degas