Portrait of Degas, His Hand Over his Mouth n.d.

This is Marcellin Desboutin's portrait of Degas, rendered in delicate lines of drypoint on a metal plate, and then printed onto paper. Look closely, and you'll see that the image doesn't sit perfectly on the page. The plate’s edges aren’t quite square with the sheet. It is a casual approach, typical of Desboutin, who favored directness and spontaneity. Drypoint is an intaglio process, where the artist uses a sharp needle to scratch directly into the plate. This creates a burr – a rough edge – that holds ink and gives the printed line a velvety quality. This contrasts with the clean lines of etching, which involves acid-biting. The burr wears down quickly during printing, meaning drypoint editions are usually small. The resulting image, therefore, has an intimacy perfectly suited to a portrait of one artist by another, capturing a moment of contemplation. This print reminds us that artistic expression relies not only on conception, but also on skillful execution with specific materials. Appreciating these processes enriches our experience of the artwork.