Portrait of Edgar Degas 1876 Marcellin-Gilbert Desboutin For his numerous informal portraits, such as this small profile of Edgar Degas, Desboutin preferred the directness of drypointa technique in which the artist directly scratches the image with a sharp needle, effectively drawing on the copper plate. With minimal lines, Desboutin skillfully created an intimate image of his friend, one of several known portraits of Degas by Desboutin. The two had a long-lasting and productive friendship, with Desboutin even encouraging Degas to try printmaking again in the mid-1870s, after more than a ten-year hiatus. In turn, Degas depicted Desboutin beside the actress Ellen Andrée in his now famous painting "In a Café (L’Absinthe)" of 1875-6 (Musée d’Orsay, Paris).. Portrait of Edgar Degas. Marcellin-Gilbert Desboutin (French, Cérilly 1823-1902 Nice). 1876. Drypoint. Edgar Degas (French, Paris 1834-1917 Paris). Prints