Self-portrait

Edgar Degas completed this introspective self-portrait showing himself as a serious young artist. He gazes directly at the viewer with penetrating dark eyes, his face emerging from shadow against a neutral background. The restrained palette and direct approach reflect academic training before his Impressionist experiments.

This early work captures Degas at the beginning of his career, already demonstrating the psychological intensity that would characterize his art. The Impressionist master was known more for dancers and horses than self-portraits, making this work particularly valuable. Now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.