The artwork “After the Bath,” created by Edgar Degas in 1896, is a seminal example of oil on canvas from the Impressionist movement. This nude painting (nu) genre piece is part of the collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Degas was renowned for his contributions to Impressionism, a movement characterized by a focus on the depiction of light and its changing qualities, open composition, and visible brushstrokes.
The artwork presents the viewer with an intimate scene: a solitary female figure engaged in the act of drying herself after a bath. The composition captures the subject from behind, with her body slightly turned, accentuating the curvature of her back and the softness of her flesh. The delicate play of light and shadow on her skin demonstrates the artist’s skillful handling of the Impressionist technique, giving life to the textures and contours of the figure.
Degas’ use of pastel colors achieves a gentle, almost tactile sensation, adding to the warmth and intimacy of the scene. A notable feature of the artwork is the manner in which the background fades into a soft, indistinct pattern that contrasts with the detailed rendering of the woman’s form. It is this contrast between the precise observation of the human figure and the loose, evocative background that superbly illustrates the Impressionist preoccupation with the transient effects of light and color.
