← Edgar Degas

Leaving the Bath (1879–80, Met-Objekt 520)

Original title: Leaving the Bath

Artist

Edgar Degas

Date

1879–80

Medium

Drypoint and aquatint on wove paper; fifteenth state of twenty-two or more states

Dimensions

sheet: 9 1/4 x 7 1/8 in. (23.5 x 18.1 cm) plate: 5 x 5 1/16 in. (12.7 x 12.8 cm)

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, Rogers Fund, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1972, by exchange

kurzbeschreibung

Edgar Degas's etching 'Leaving the Bath' (1879–80) presents two women in an interior drying themselves with towels. Executed as a drypoint with aquatint on wove paper, this print belongs to a series of at least twenty-two states.

Description

Two figures dominate the foreground: one bends forward, draping a large, light towel over her shoulder, while the other near the window holds a similar towel. Trees and a window through which light falls form the rear area. The arrangement feels calm and everyday, symmetrically structured. In shades of gray, the image remains monochromatic; delicate lines and shading shape textures and bodies.

Context

In 1879–80, a period of intense engagement with the bathing theme, this etching was created. It is part of a series of prints that Degas reworked in multiple states; the present impression is the fifteenth of at least twenty-two. At that time, he experimented with drypoint and aquatint to achieve soft tonal values. The motif of the private bathroom recurs in his later work.

Impact

A confidential, quiet atmosphere of everyday life emerges. Delicate lines and the use of light draw the eye to the figures, creating a calm, almost meditative mood.

Technique

Drypoint and aquatint on wove paper come together here. Drypoint leaves strong, slightly raised lines, while aquatint allows for gentle gray tones. The fifteenth state testifies to careful working of the plate.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)