France, 19th century / 1879
Diego Martelli
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Diego Martelli as drawing (France, 19th century · 1879).
The ghostly white tone of Diego Martelli's face was likely pink or peach when Degas made the work, and has gradually faded over time.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this drawing as charcoal and white chalk and credits Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917).
The museum's collection notes: This sheet is one of many studies that Degas made in 1879 of his friend and supporter, the Italian art critic and patron Diego Martelli (1839-1896). Martelli was one of the most important champions of progressive modern art in Italy, and his writings on the 1879 Impressionist show became famous, playing a crucial role in publicizing the movement. This sheet relates to two painted portraits of the critic, one in the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, and the other in the National Museum of Fine Arts, Buenos Aires.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtDiego MartelliOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.