Portrait of Degas in Florence 1858

Gustave Moreau made this portrait of Degas in Florence using a humble material: graphite. With its monochromatic tonality and grainy texture, graphite lends a contemplative mood to this image of the young Degas. Moreau has captured his friend in a moment of reverie, gazing out at the Florentine cityscape. Graphite is of course nothing more than carbon, but in finely ground form, and applied to paper, it becomes a wonderfully expressive artistic medium. Here, Moreau coaxes a full range of values from the graphite, using dense hatching to define Degas’s dark coat and the shadowed interior, and lighter, more delicate strokes to render his face. The softness of graphite also allows for subtle gradations of tone, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. Although drawings are often considered preparatory to painting, in Moreau's hands, graphite is a medium of great sophistication. It invites us to appreciate the inherent beauty and expressive potential of this most common of materials.