Sheet of Studies and Sketches

graphite, pen and dark brown ink, and watercolor on thick ivory wove paperEdgar Degas (French, 1834–1917)/1858

Description

Degas traveled to Florence, Italy, in July 1858, where he made this sheet of studies. The featured imagery is fragmented and dissociated, suggesting the young artist's engagement with art of the past. The refined female head drawn at center in graphite was copied from a drawing then attributed to Leonardo da Vinci in the Uffizi Gallery's collection. Other sketches record Degas's responses to Florentine sculpture. At upper right, he sketched an informal portrait of his cousin Giulia Bellelli, probably from life.

Provenance

Studio of the artist; Estate of Edgar Degas [1834-1917], Paris; (his fourth sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, July 2-4, 1919, no. 74b, sold to Nunès); (Galerie Nunès et Fiquet, Paris); Private collection; (Victor D. Spark, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art); Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Dimensions

30.4 × 23.5 cm

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Movement / Period

Drawings

Accession No

1951.430

Official Citations

[The Cleveland Museum of Art Official Record][Full Resolution Image]

Curatorial Affinity Stream

Continuing the Universe of Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917)

Drawings • France, 19th century • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries

Continuous Discovery