Studies of Feet [verso]

1855

Edgar Degas

Associated Names
Edgar Degas

Artist, French, 1834 - 1917

The image shows parts of a person's body, focusing on two feet. The foot on the left appears to be partially covered by clothing near the ankle area, and its sole and toes are visible. On the right side, another foot is depicted in profile, showing the arch and toes drawn from the side view. The background is a plain, textured surface, appearing like a neutral drawing paper. There are no additional clothing, jewelry, or objects seen within the frame, and the background remains unobtrusive, serving only to highlight the drawn feet.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    graphite on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon

  • Dimensions

    overall: 30.5 x 23.7 cm (12 x 9 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1995.47.32.b

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Lemoisne 1946, undescribed

Associated Artworks

The sketch shows a young person from the waist up in a three-quarter view facing to the viewer's left. They have short hair, defined facial features, and are wearing a coat with a bow tie. One hand rests on a surface, and the other appears to hold the garment's belt. The background has intricate patterns that could be wallpaper or a framed artwork, suggesting a domestic setting.

René de Gas [recto]

Edgar Degas

1855

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

René De Gas; Marcel Guérin, Paris; Richard S. Davis, Minneapolis, MN; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, Upperville, VA, 1963; gift to NGA, 1995.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1931

  • Degas: Portraitiste, Sculpteur. Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris, 1931, no. 81.

1948

  • Seventy Master Drawings. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 1948-1949, no. 64.

1949

  • One Hundred Master Drawings. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 1949, 176-177.

1966

  • French Paintings from the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon and Mrs. Mellon Bruce, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1966, no. 222, repro.

1974

  • Recent Acquisitions and Promised Gifts: Sculpture, Drawings, Prints. National Gallery of Art, Washigton, 1974, 48, B.

1997

  • Building a Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997-1998, no. 135, as René de Gas.

1999

  • An Enduring Legacy: Masterpieces from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1999-2000.

2000

  • Art for the Nation: Collecting for a New Century, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2000-2001, 213.

Bibliography

1946

  • Lemoisne, Paul André. Degas et son oeuvre. 4 vols. Paris: Arts et metiers graphiques, 1946-1949. Vols. 2 and 3, 1946. Reprinted in 5 vols., New York and London, 1984.

Inscriptions

lower right verso in graphite: à René / E Degas 1855.

Wikidata ID

Q64556369

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