Alphonse Hirsch 1875

Edgar Degas made this print of Alphonse Hirsch using etching, a process that involves biting lines into a metal plate with acid. Prints like this one are interesting to consider in relation to the explosion of printed imagery in nineteenth-century France. The print medium allowed artists to circulate their work more widely and cheaply. But it also changed the way they related to the art market. Degas, like other Impressionist painters, was interested in depicting modern life. By making his work available in print form, he could reach a wider audience and participate in the debates of his time. At this time, social and political critiques often appeared in printed publications. To understand this print better, we might ask: who was Alphonse Hirsch? How did Degas know him? And what were the social dynamics between them? Such questions might be answered by archival documents such as letters, exhibition reviews, and sales records. With this information, art history comes alive as part of social history.