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Bather Drying Herself

ca. 1892
Not on view
Edgar Degas greatly admired the female figure. Whereas his depictions of ballerinas focus on the elegant, performative body, his studies of women bathing show an equal appreciation for the uninhibited gestures of this private activity. In intimate, close-up portrayals, Degas depicted his models seated, crouched, or standing, often in contorted poses as they lifted arms and legs to wash or dry themselves. Chalk and pastels helped him capture the play of light and movement in these domestic choreographies. In this relatively abstract portrayal, he used white chalk to offset the color of the paper and to suggest the curvature of the woman’s back and arms.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bather Drying Herself
  • Artist: Edgar Degas (French, Paris 1834–1917 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1892
  • Medium: Charcoal and pastel, heightened with white chalk, on tracing paper (mounted on cardboard)
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 10 3/8 x 10 3/8 in. (26.4 x 26.4cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Stephen C. Clark, 1960
  • Object Number: 61.101.18
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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Huit Sonnets. . .Illustré de dix-nuef dessins inédits de Edgar Degas
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Seated Woman in Bonnet and Shawl, Edgar Degas French, Aquatint, drypoint, and etching; printed from canceled plate
Seated Woman in Bonnet and Shawl
Edgar Degas
ca. 1879
At the Café des Ambassadeurs, Edgar Degas French, Etching, softground, drypoint, and aquatint; fifth (final) state; canceled plate
At the Café des Ambassadeurs
Edgar Degas
1879–80
Greek Landscape, Edgar Degas French, Etching (only state; impression from cancelled plate)
Greek Landscape
Edgar Degas
1856
On Stage III, Edgar Degas French, Softground etching,drypoint, and roulette on wove paper; fourth state of five
On Stage III
Edgar Degas
1876–77

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