The artwork “Leaving the Bath” is a creation of Edgar Degas, a renowned artist closely associated with the Impressionist movement. This pastel composition, which dates from circa 1900 to circa 1905, depicts a nude figure in a candid and intimate moment. The artwork’s dimensions are 78 by 79 centimeters. Reflecting the characteristics of Impressionist art, this piece conveys a fleeting instance with a focus on light and movement. It holds the genre distinction of nude painting (nu) and is currently housed in a private collection.
“Leaving the Bath” captures the back view of a lone female figure as she steps out of the bathtub. Degas’s use of pastel lends a soft and textural quality to the artwork, with the hazy strokes emphasizing the ephemeral nature of the moment. The figure dominates the composition, capturing the eye with its blend of naturalism and artistic abstraction. The use of color is varied yet harmonious, juxtaposing the warmth of the figure’s skin with the cooler tones of the surroundings. The woman is caught in the act of drying herself with a towel, an everyday task rendered with a sensitivity to form and gesture that invites contemplation. The figure’s pose and the interaction with her environment show Degas’s continued interest in the study of the human form and its movement within space.
