Woman with a Towel by Degas

Emerging from the intimate calm of female grooming, this artwork by Degas Edgar, associated with the Impressionist movement, stands under the title of “Woman with a Towel” within his production. The artist abandons stage scenes to focus on the anatomical study of the female body in its purest truth. This magnificent composition bears witness to his untiring research into natural attitudes and human expressions captured on the spot.

An entirely naked woman is depicted standing and from behind in the center of the image, her body slightly bent towards the left. Her long flamboyant red hair falls gracefully over her shoulders and back. She holds with both hands a large white towel or sheet which extends to the left and right to cover a portion of her silhouette. Her left hand holds the fabric on the left side, while her right arm stretches towards the right. The background is a vertical wall of a textured bright yellow ochre, while a light blue wall flanque the left of the painting in a geometric and elegant way.

This work celebrates the artist’s unique and masterly craftsmanship through an incredibly virtuous pastel technique. The painter uses dense and vibrant hatching to sculpt forms and capture the play of artificial light on the skin with an outstanding and poignant expressive force.