The artwork “Portrait of Zacherie Zacharian” is a pastel portrait created by Edgar Degas in 1886. It is considered part of the Impressionism art movement. The genre of this piece is a portrait, and currently, the artwork is housed in a private collection.
The portrait depicts a man, presumably Zacherie Zacharian, whose gaze seems to be directed towards the viewer. He sports a full beard and a mustache and is dressed in dark clothing, complete with a hat that seems to be of the style typical of the late 19th century. The man is shown with his chin resting thoughtfully on his hand, with what appears to be a cane or stick of some sort visible at his side. Degas uses a range of soft colors and employs masterful pastel techniques to convey the texture of the subject’s hair, beard, and clothing. The background is rendered with swift, directional strokes that create a sense of atmosphere without drawing attention away from the central figure. The overall effect is one that captures the personality and demeanor of the subject in an intimate manner, typical of Degas’s probing psychological portraits.
