Woman Bathing in a Shallow Tub
Original title: Woman Bathing in a Shallow Tub
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many comparable nude studies of his time, Edgar Degas’s 1885 sheet presents a woman from behind in a shallow tub, not as a spectacle but in an unguarded moment. The artist combined charcoal and pastel on light green wove paper, now discolored to warm gray and laid down on silk bolting. The figure sits with her back to the viewer, hands clasped in front of her body.
Description
Rear view: a woman crouches in a shallow tub, draped in white fabric that falls over her shoulders and back. The water appears dark, catching reflections from its surroundings. A blue curtain forms the background. Light from above models the body’s forms and shadows, while the overall palette remains restrained.
Context
During the 1880s, Degas turned increasingly to the female nude in everyday, private moments. For such studies he often used pastel, applying it in numerous layers to achieve nuanced tonal harmonies. This work belongs to a phase in which he moved away from pure Impressionism and developed his own pictorial language, strongly defined by drawing.
Impact
The woman seems entirely absorbed in herself, untouched by the viewer’s gaze. This calm and concentration communicate themselves to the image. Muted tones and soft light create an atmosphere of intimacy and quiet contemplation.
Technique
The support was green wove paper, later mounted on silk bolting. Degas worked with charcoal and pastel: charcoal for contouring, pastel for colored accents. The layered application of pastel produced a velvety surface that breaks the light softly.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)