← Edgar Degas

After the Bath (large version)

Original title: After the Bath (large version)

Artist

Edgar Degas

Date

1891–92

Medium

Lithograph, transfer, and crayon on laid paper; fifth (final) state

Dimensions

image: 11 13/16 x 12 3/16 in. (30 x 31 cm) plate: 11 13/16 x 13 3/8 in. (30 x 34 cm) sheet: 17 x 19 1/4 in. (43.2 x 48.9 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Clifford A. Furst, by exchange, 1974

kurzbeschreibung

Edgar Degas made "After the Bath (Large Version)" in 1891–92 as a lithograph. It shows a woman drying herself with a towel after bathing. The print exists in its fifth and final state, executed as a transfer with crayon on laid paper.

Description

A woman leans forward, a towel in her hand. A second towel rests over her right leg. Behind her, a section of a curtain with a floral pattern appears. The image remains monochrome, in various shades of gray. Light falling from the front brings out the forms of the figure and the background.

Context

In the 1890s, Degas devoted himself increasingly to the female nude after bathing. This print belongs to a series of such works. At the time, he experimented with various printmaking techniques, including lithography. The large version is one of several versions of the motif.

Impact

Soft contours and graduated gray tones create a quiet, intimate mood. The textures of towel and curtain feel vivid. The impressionist touch shows in loose linework and the emphasis on light and shadow.

Technique

The print was made as a lithograph with transfer and crayon on laid paper. The fifth and final state points to careful reworking of the plate. The process allows fine gradations of gray and a soft, painterly effect.

AI-generated description text

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