The Collector of Prints (Degas)

The Collector of Prints is an oil-on-canvas painting by the French impressionist artist Edgar Degas. The painting, which was produced in 1866, depicts an unknown male subject who’s sitting down and seemingly browsing through a portfolio of prints while holding the viewers’ gaze. This work, influenced by prominent artists and critics of the time such as Daumier, Manet, and Duranty, embodied Degas’ interest in exploring the avenues of a complex background. As a result, the background behind the subject displays a varied compilation of photographs, cards, prints, fabrics, and other objects.

The Collector of Prints
Artist	Edgar Degas
Year	1866
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	53 cm × 40 cm (21 in × 16 in)
Location	Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Accession	29.100.44

Context

Edgar Degas' Portrait of James Tissot, 1867-68

Edgar Degas' Sulking, 1870

From 1866 to 1871, Degas found himself experimenting with his interest in shifting the focus of his paintings to highlight their background, which translated into a pattern of painting pictures within pictures in some of his works. Therefore, besides The Collector of Prints, Degas painted a couple of other pieces, such as the Portrait of James Tissot and Sulking, which embodied elaborate and sophisticated backgrounds as well. Moreover, within the complex backgrounds of each of these works, Degas made sure to depict snippets of works of art from styles differing from his. Thus, The Collector of Prints incorporates elements of Far Eastern art such as Japanese fabrics and a T’ang Dynasty figurine.

Analysis

Since Degas approached this painting with the deliberate intent of creating a complex background, one of the most intricate components of the painting can be found on the bulletin board that’s located to the right of the unknown sitter. Upon close inspection, it becomes clear that the wide array of items pinned down to it is made up of an assortment of European stationery products as well as fragments of Japanese embroidered silk. Within these, however, the paramount factor is the latter. As fragments of silk that were once part of larger fabrics, these pieces were likely to be used for pocketbooks and jacket linings, which were popular among French collectors at the time due to their unconventional color combinations and strong aesthetic appeal. Consequently, Degas, who collected Japanese art himself, aimed to incorporate this unique art style into this painting. And so, through the carefully thought-out color schemes of the silk fabrics and their close resemblance to the pattern used in traditional Japanese card games, Degas was able to realize his vision.

Redoute's Rosa Gallica Pontiana

Moreover, if one keeps looking at the background of the work, other important components can be found on the table behind the unknown sitter along with the cupboard to his left. In this case, the papers located on top of the table have been identified as small color lithographs of flowers, which had been popularized earlier in the century through the works of Pierre Redouté. As such, the unknown subject is seen browsing through floral prints that are stylistically similar to Redoute's Rosa Gallica Pontiana shown in the left. These lithographs, in addition to being on the table in the back, can also be found on the portfolio that the male subject is browsing. As for the items in the cupboard, although not all of the items are clearly visible, what stands out the most is the white ceramic horse figure located on the bottom level. In particular, this figurine resembles those produced in China during the T’ang Dynasty through its anatomical positioning and features, such as the bent head and flaring nostrils. Differing from that style, nonetheless, Degas' choice of incorporating a Westernized touch to it through a realistic hair-like depiction of the animal is something worth noting.

Lastly, another elaborate aspect of this piece revolves around the male subject of the painting, with whom critics ostensibly tend to have differing analyses. For instance, some critics believe that rather than a collector, the depicted man better suits the description of a bizarre fanatic. To support this claim, critics allude to the fact that Degas captured the man while he was potentially looking for the July Monarchy prints which, although made by Redouté, did not have a good reception with the public at the time. Moreover, critics argue that despite being surrounded by beautiful objects already, the subject is still desperately probing through his portfolio looking, and borderline hunting, for his next find, which only solidifies their claim of fanaticism. Differing from that view, however, other critics allude to the fact that the subject was nothing more than a modest collector with whom Degas personally identified. To support this claim, critics bring up the conversation Degas once had with Hector Brame in 1901, in which he confessed “I have only known to accumulate beautiful pictures, not money”. Similar to that view, other critics also note how Degas was an individual who, having been exposed to interactions with collectors during his youth and eventually becoming one himself, was portraying a collector who had a deep commitment to art and disregard for oneself.

Influences

Daumier's The Print Collector, 1860

With the 19th century being a period marked by the emergence of numerous rising artists, Degas found himself influenced by his artistic counterparts and critics in various instances. For this piece, nevertheless, Degas found himself listening to his peers Manet and Duranty and their opinions about shifting away from the separation of the subject and the setting in a painting and heading towards the opposite. Accordingly, Degas successfully created an artwork that, while depicting a human subject, also depicts an intricate background that is connected to the subject in a subtle manner, just as Manet and Durant discussed.

In the same way, Degas was also influenced by Daumier’s The Print Collector, which was painted six years prior to his piece. In this matter, both works revolve around the same subject. That is, men surrounded by their collections. In contrast to Daumier’s work, however, which depicts a man deeply engulfed in his collection of prints and drawings, Degas chose to paint his subject directly glancing at the viewer and with a variety of objects from different artistic styles instead. In turn, Degas’ unknown subject emanates an unfriendly aura pertaining to an art connoisseur who’s not tied to a single artistic style but many, which Daumier’s collector doesn’t do.

Ownership

In 1895, this artwork was sold to Ms. Havemeyer for a substantial sum, two years after the sales deal had been originally struck through Durand-Ruel. Today, however, the piece resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City in Gallery 815.