The image depicts an etching plate with a faint outline of a man's head and partial bust, primarily focusing on his facial features. The figure appears to be oriented slightly to the left, as if turning slightly in profile. Facial features such as the outline of a nose, mouth, and a detailed mustache and beard can be discerned through a series of etching marks and scratches. The man's hair appears to be short with defined lines suggesting a combed back style. The clothing suggested by the more densely etched area provides the hint of a collared shirt or jacket, though details are sparse. The overall setting is a plain copper plate surface with no additional background details beyond the etched figure itself.
Read the visual description

The image depicts an etching plate with a faint outline of a man's head and partial bust, primarily focusing on his facial features. The figure appears to be oriented slightly to the left, as if turning slightly in profile. Facial features such as the outline of a nose, mouth, and a detailed mustache and beard can be discerned through a series of etching marks and scratches. The man's hair appears to be short with defined lines suggesting a combed back style. The clothing suggested by the more densely etched area provides the hint of a collared shirt or jacket, though details are sparse. The overall setting is a plain copper plate surface with no additional background details beyond the etched figure itself.

National Gallery of Art · Technical Material

Alphonse Hirsch

Edgar Degas

Date
1875
Medium
drypoint and aquatinted copper plate
Dimensions
overall: 11.3 × 6.1 × 0.1 cm (4 7/16 × 2 3/8 × 1/16 in.)
Classification
Technical Material · Printmaking Matrices
Accession number
1963.11.89
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • French
  • Impressionist
Provenance

Gérald Cramer, Geneva; purchased 1959 by Lessing J. Rosenwald; gift to NGA, 1963.

NGA object ID 46822. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.