When Edgar Degas painted Princess Pauline de Metternich in 1865, he chose as his subject one of the most influential and talked-about women in Second Empire Paris. Princess Pauline, wife of the Austrian ambassador and close friend of Empress Eugénie, was famed for her sharp wit, her daring taste in fashion, and her role as an arbiter of society. Her presence at the Paris salons and her championing of avant-garde artists made her both admired and controversial.

Degas’s portrait of her is the only known painted likeness by a major Impressionist, and its exhibition in the Paris Salon of 1865 drew both praise and surprise for its modernity. The painting captures Princess Pauline not in a formal pose, but in a moment of poised alertness, as if she has just turned to greet an unseen guest. Her dark dress, severe yet elegant, is offset by a cascade of white lace and a flash of jewelry at her throat, marking her as both fashionable and formidable. The background is spare, focusing all attention on her upright figure and intelligent gaze.

Unlike the flattering, idealized portraits by Franz Xaver Winterhalter—the favorite court painter of the day—Degas’s approach is frank, almost cool, emphasizing character over glamour. The light falls directly on her face, highlighting her strong features and the slight tension in her expression, suggesting both her social power and the scrutiny she endured. Little is known about the commission or early history of Princess Pauline de Metternich, and the medium Degas used remains uncertain, though it is likely oil on canvas. The portrait was shown at the Salon of 1865, a pivotal year for Degas as he began to move away from historical subjects toward the modern life that would define his career.

Today, the painting is rarely seen in public, and its current location is not widely advertised, adding to its mystique. It stands as a testament to Degas’s early interest in psychological portraiture and his willingness to challenge the conventions of society portraiture in the Paris of his day.