The Collector of Prints (Degas)

The Collector of Prints is an oil on canvas painting executed in 1866 by the French artist Edgar Degas. It is now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Description
The painting depicts an art collector surrounded by some of his acquisitions. On display are a number of cheap lithographs accompanied by more valuable Chinese and Japanese art. It is one of many Degas paintings showing people at work or at leisure in a way that defines their character. The man—whose identity is unknown—is depicted as if caught off-guard while perusing a portfolio of prints that rests against his legs.