Portrait of a Young Woman (after Bacchiacca)

Edgar Degas rendered this work in 1859, during his formative years when he was deeply studying the Italian Renaissance masters. The oil on canvas depicts a young woman in a red dress and feathered hat, seated against a dark background that creates dramatic contrast with her luminous figure.

The title indicates Degas created this portrait after seeing a work by Francesco Bacchiacca, a sixteenth-century Florentine painter. Struck by the beauty of the female figure in Bacchiacca's painting, Degas produced his own interpretation. This practice of studying and reinterpreting old masters was essential to his artistic education, years before he would become famous for his Impressionist ballet and racecourse scenes.

Degas used soft, delicate brushstrokes that create a sensation of movement and life. He made several preliminary sketches before the final work, demonstrating the careful preparation that characterized his approach throughout his career.