Copy painting hand-painted of the artwork
After the Bath - Woman Drying Herself (Degas)

This bold, square work is a powerful study of the female body in action. Edgar Degas captures a woman from behind, sitting in a tub, contorting herself to dry off with a towel. The composition is almost abstract, dominated by the vibrant textures of pastel and an incandescent background of orange and red tones. The woman’s body, though central, almost blends into this colorful environment. Degas moves away from conventional beauty to focus on movement, effort, and the raw intimacy of the moment. The unusual perspective and tight framing reinforce the feeling of being a privileged observer, almost a voyeur, of a private scene. It is a work of radical modernity, pushing the boundaries of nude representation and the expressive use of color.