Torso: Woman Rubbing Her Back with a Sponge
Original title: Torso: Woman Rubbing Her Back with a Sponge
kurzbeschreibung
Edgar Degas likely modeled this female torso between 1888 and 1892; in 1920, after his death, the figure was cast in bronze. The sculpture measures 49.5 x 26.7 x 23.5 cm and shows a seated woman rubbing her back with a piece of soap.
Description
A seated woman's torso appears, holding a piece of soap in her right hand and pressing it against her back. Only the back of her head and neck are suggested; the face is absent. The uneven surface emphasizes the body's forms, and light picks out the contours. The bronze stands on a black base; below it are a scale and the inscription 'THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART 1930'.
Context
In his later years, Degas increasingly turned to the female body in everyday poses. This work was probably made between 1888 and 1892, but only in 1920—after the artist's death—was it cast in bronze. Degas often modeled in wax and clay; these models were cast posthumously. The sculpture belongs to a series of torsos that capture the body in unusual, intimate moments.
Impact
The fragmentary nature and the expressive surface give the sculpture an immediate liveliness. Because only the torso is present, the viewer's attention goes to the dynamics of movement and the texture of the skin. The interplay of light and shadow heightens the physical presence.
Technique
The bronze cast preserves the fine structures of the original wax model. The surface is irregular and in places rough, typical of Degas's approach. The posthumous casting took place in 1920, probably as part of an edition of casts.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)