Head of a Woman in Profile
1879–80
Medium
Softground etching, aquatint, and drypoint on laid paper (unique impression)
Dimensions
plate: 4 1/2 x 4 7/16 in. (11.5 x 11.3 cm) sheet: 7 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. (19.3 x 26 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.107.52
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edgar Degas, a leading figure in the Impressionist, crafted this delicate *Head of a Woman in Profile* around 1879–80, during his innovative phase as a printmaker. Though renowned for his paintings of ballet dancers and modern Parisian life, Degas turned to printmaking to explore intimate, off-center compositions and the female form. This small-scale work captures a woman's profile with poised elegance, emphasizing contour and subtle expression against a minimal background—a hallmark of his fascination with everyday subjects rendered with psychological depth. Printed on laid paper using softg...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas · 1834–1917
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...