After the Bath 1 by Degas

This major work is part of the artist’s innovative plastic research around the female body in motion and its daily truth. The visionary creator Degas Edgar offers with “After the Bath 1” an intimate scene of rare intensity, far from the mythological representations of traditional academic painting. Through this naturalistic gaze, the work captures the raw and authentic beauty of the female toilette at the turn of the century.

A redhead woman, entirely nude, is captured standing from behind, one foot placed on a crumpled white sheet that covers a sofa to dry herself after her bath. Her sculptural silhouette bends slightly, one hand resting on the back of a yellow armchair to keep her balance in her twisting movement. The background is richly decorated with a tapestry with golden floral patterns and striped curtains that bring depth to the intimate space. The golden light, coming from an invisible side window, gently caresses the model’s skin, highlighting each muscle of the back and buttocks. The dominant orange, yellow and blue tones create a warm and cozy atmosphere.

The perfect mastery of pastel is expressed in the delicate rendering of skin textures and the realistic wrinkling of bath linens. The artist uses superimposed colored hatching to give vibration to the space and sculpt the body with realism and an incredible plastic strength.