“After the Bath,” a renowned artwork by Edgar Degas, dates from the period of 1885 – 1886. This exemplary piece, crafted with pastel on paper, measures 70 cm by 70 cm and exemplifies the genre of nude painting (nu). Embedded within the Impressionist movement, the artwork has found its home within the esteemed collection of the Musée d’Orsay, located in Paris, France.
The artwork captures an intimate and unguarded moment post-bathing, focusing on the figure of a woman as she actively dries herself. The composition is dominated by the soft yet firm lines that sculpt the woman’s body, rendered with a deftness that conveys both the weight of the flesh and the subtlety of skin tones. Degas’s adept use of pastels results in a rich texture and vibrancy that emphasizes the play of light across her form. The woman is seated, slightly leaning forward, with her back to the viewers, drawing attention to the curvature of her back and the musculature of her limbs.
In keeping with the Impressionist commitment to capturing the transient effects of light, Degas has imbued the scene with a delicate luminosity that softly models the body and highlights its contours. The muted colors and gentle rendering of form allow for an overall effect that is both immediate and alluring, yet ephemeral, reflecting the fleeting nature of the moment being depicted. The background is understated, serving to accentuate the central figure. The skillful handling of the medium and the candid portrayal of the subject are testament to Degas’s mastery in bridging the traditional subject matter of the nude with a modern approach to composition and color, making “After the Bath” a significant piece in the Impressionist oeuvre.
