Description
Ellen Andrée stands in left-facing profile in Edgar Degas’s drypoint portrait, a bonnet and dark short coat above her patterned long skirt. The open surrounding field gives the figure room to remain distinct, letting clothing and posture establish her presence without a busy stage setting. The actress appears as an individual encountered through the close attention of another artist.
Created in 1879, the work uses the direct marks of drypoint to establish the likeness. The printed lines give the encounter a particular immediacy, keeping the artist’s handling present alongside the sitter’s identity. The portrait’s interest lies in that intimate scale of observation: an actress can be compelling without being shown in the midst of a performance. Degas asks the viewer to linger on a person whose public occupation is only one part of the image’s human presence.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Edgar Degas collection.
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