Copy painting hand-painted of the artwork
A Woman Ironing (Degas)

This poignant work depicts a laundress at work, bent over her table in intense physical effort. Degas captures the fatigue and monotony of daily labor with great empathy. The woman is seen in silhouette, her dark form standing out against a bright background where laundry is drying. The light, coming from an off-screen window, sculpts her form and highlights the tension in her arms. The palette is reduced to shades of brown, gray, and white, which reinforces the sober and realistic atmosphere of the scene. Degas does not seek to embellish reality; he shows the dignity in work and the beauty in the simple gestures of everyday life. It is a powerful testimony to the condition of working women in 19th-century Paris. The original is housed at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.