
1861–1871
This drawing is one of several studies that Edgar Degas created for a painted portrait of the artist Victoria Dubourg, now in the collection of the Toledo Museum of Art. Here, Degas concentrated on the facial expression of Dubourg, known for her still-lifes of flowers. Attempting to precisely render Dubourg's direct gaze, Degas drew her eyes in greater detail, even adding an additional sketch along the sheet's upper margin.