Stefanina Primicile Carafa, Marchioness of Cicerale and Duchess of Montejasi - Edgar Degas
Archival giclée
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Description
A contemplative portrait by Edgar Degas, capturing the Marchioness of Cicerale with a restrained palette and focused, deliberate brushwork.
This portrait of Stefanina Primicile Carafa, the Marchioness of Cicerale and Duchess of Montejasi, is a work by Edgar Degas from his time in Italy. Degas, known for his association with the Impressionist group, maintained a strong interest in traditional portraiture throughout his career. This painting demonstrates his ability to capture the psychological presence of a sitter through a restrained palette and focused brushwork.
The subject is depicted against a dark, atmospheric background that contrasts with the sharp, illuminated features of her face. Degas employs a limited range of earth tones, punctuated by the deep red visible in the lower portion of the composition. The brushwork is deliberate, showing the artist's focus on the structure of the face and the texture of the sitter's dark attire. Unlike the more fluid, light-filled works often associated with the Impressionist movement, this piece reflects the influence of Old Master portraiture, which Degas studied extensively during his formative years in Italy.
The composition is intimate, focusing on the sitter's gaze, which is directed away from the viewer. This choice creates a sense of detachment and quiet contemplation. The treatment of light is particularly effective, drawing attention to the contours of the face while allowing the rest of the figure to recede into the shadows. This work provides insight into the breadth of Degas's practice, showing his technical skill in traditional oil painting alongside his more experimental interests in movement and modern life. It remains a study in character, capturing the dignity and gravity of the subject through a sophisticated use of tone and form.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
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- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
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- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
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Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Stefanina Primicile Carafa, Marchioness of Cicerale and Duchess of Montejasi - Edgar Degas
Artist Biography
Edgar Degas
More than half of his entire output depicts dancers. He became a fixture at the Paris Opera, watching from the wings and from boxes above the stage, sketching not the performance but the work behind it: the stretching, the waiting, the adjusting of shoes, the corrections from the ballet master. The backstage fatigue interested him more than the applause.
In 1881, he exhibited Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, a two-thirds life-size wax figure of Marie van Goethem, a real student at the Opera ballet school. She wore a real tutu, real ballet slippers, and a wig of human hair, all coated in wax. Critics called it repulsive. One described the girl as having a face marked by the hateful promise of every vice. Wax was a material for anatomical specimens, not art. It was the only sculpture he exhibited in his lifetime. After his death, 150 more wax figures were found in his studio, many falling apart.
His eyesight began failing during the Franco-Prussian War. By his forties he had lost central vision. By fifty-seven he could not read. The deterioration drove him from fine brushwork to bolder strokes, then to pastels, then to sculpture he could work by touch. He avoided daylight and painted under controlled artificial light. Collectors joked they should chain their Degas paintings to the wall, because he would try to take them back to rework them. He compulsively revised everything.
He disliked being called an Impressionist. He preferred Realist or Independent. He never painted outdoors, which was supposedly the whole point of the movement. Despite this, he co-founded the group, organised their exhibitions, and showed in all eight. He said: there is love and there is art and we only have one heart. He never married.
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