Portrait of a Young Woman (after Bacchiacca) 1859

Edgar Degas painted this portrait of a young woman, after Bacchiacca, with oil on canvas. The subject is a young woman, likely in her late teens, rendered in a style that merges Renaissance formality with a distinctly modern sensibility. The painting is dominated by a muted palette of ochre, white, and dark green, creating a contemplative and serene atmosphere. Degas’ brushstrokes are loose and visible, a departure from the smooth, almost invisible brushwork of earlier portraiture. This technique serves not only to describe the form, but also to emphasize the materiality of the paint itself. Notice how the subject's gaze is averted, adding a layer of psychological complexity. The composition is structured around the contrast between the dark background and the bright, almost luminous, face and collar. Degas engages with the Renaissance tradition by reinterpreting it through the lens of modern painting. The visible brushstrokes and emphasis on the materiality of paint destabilize the illusionistic qualities typically associated with Renaissance portraiture.