Degas pastel portraits from photos
Degas pastel portraits from photos of flowers
Portrait painting commissions.
Rare Photographs by Edgar Degas
On August 19, 1839, the French government acquired the patent for the daguerreotype and made it the first publicly available photographic process.
As it gradually became “free to the world,” the process quickly gained popularity even among painters. You probably heard about Edgar Degas and his paintings, but have you heard about his photographs?
Edgar Degas developed a strong interest in photography during the autumn of 1895, at the age of 61.
Degas pastel portraits from photos
It was a decade after the artist’s eighth and final impressionist exhibition. His photographic works are not as widely recognized as his paintings and pastels. Yet, the captivating nature of his photographic figure studies, self-portraits, and portraits of acquaintances and family deserves more attention.
These photographs, numbering fewer than 50 and often captured during dinner gatherings under oil lamps, offer a mesmerizing glimpse into Degas’ lesser-known artistic expressions.