Marguerite Degas, the Artist’s Sister 1860 - 1862

Editor: So, here we have Degas' "Marguerite Degas, the Artist’s Sister," dating from around 1860 to 1862. It's an etching on paper. There's a softness to the whole image that I find compelling; how would you unpack its formal elements? Curator: Consider the hatching technique employed by Degas. Observe how the density and direction of the lines construct form and volume. Notice especially the way the background is established, setting off the subject. Editor: That contrast really highlights the figure. There's almost a sketch-like quality to the rendering, yet it still feels very resolved. Could you elaborate on how Degas utilizes line to guide the viewer’s eye? Curator: The composition relies heavily on contour. The sinuous lines of Marguerite's clothing, for example, pull our vision through a complex space of interlocking marks and tonal scales. Look at how the lines vary to produce differences in the picture plane. Where do you notice such variation most keenly? Editor: I see it now! Particularly in the handling of light and shadow across her face and in the ruffles. It creates a soft glow on the figure. Are there relationships there to classical drawing techniques, even with Degas' movement towards impressionism? Curator: Precisely! The formal constraints, and the strategic dissolution of those constraints, produce a tension which makes the work so interesting, isn’t it? We find the interplay between the classical and the avant-garde beautifully synthesized here. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, but I can definitely see those elements combined now. Thanks for pointing those formal qualities out; it gives me a lot to consider. Curator: It is these formal properties that really offer insight into Degas’s innovation, even this early in his career.