PSYCHIATRY AND ART The Bellellifamily

(1834-1917) is perhaps best re membered for his pictures ofwomen bathing and of ballet dancers. The awkward posing, the physical unattractiveness and the voyeuristic viewpoints that are characteristics of many of his later works have given him a reputation for misogyny. A lesser known aspect of Degas ' work concerns portraiture. In the earlier part of his career he painted many portraits of his family and friends which are remarkable for their psychological insights as well as their technical and compositional mastery. One of the finest is the portrait of the Bellelli family which he started in Florence in 1858 and appears to have worked on intermittently until 1867. Its large size (200x250cm), the length of time in execution and the number of preparatory studies all point to its significance in the artist's eyes. Despite this, scholars doubt that it was ever exhibitedduring Degas ' lifetime and was discovered with considerable surprise in his studio following his death (Boggs, 1994). The family consists of Baron Gennaro Bellelli,his wife Laura, who was Degas ' aunt (his father's sister), and their daughters, Giovanna and Giula.In a sense, Laura's father Hilaire, is also present; his is the framed portrait on the wall- a portrait within a portrait. Some commentators have suggested that Laura is pregnant. This would explain the cradle that is half-visible behind her, but there is no conclusive evidence that she was expecting. Materially and emotionally the family was experiencing difficulties at the time when Dega