The artwork titled “Seated Woman pulling her glove” is a creation of Edgar Degas from the year 1890. This oil on canvas painting is associated with the Impressionism movement, a genre of painting that emphasizes the artist’s perception of the scene. It is classified as a genre painting, depicting a scene from everyday life. Currently, the artwork is housed at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, located in Buffalo, New York, United States.
In the artwork, a woman is portrayed in a moment of private, mundane activity, a characteristic subject for genre paintings. She appears to be seated, engaged in the delicate task of removing or adjusting a glove from her left hand. Her body is turned slightly to the right, her head inclined downwards, directing her gaze to the task at hand. The woman’s attire and the glove suggest a sense of elegance and perhaps preparation for or unwinding from a social outing.
Degas’s application of paint is loose and expressive, embodying the Impressionist movement’s hallmark use of light and color to capture the essence of the moment rather than its precise details. The background is a melange of vibrant hues that do not define a specific space, allowing the viewer to focus more intensely on the figure and her action. The interplay of warm and cool tones creates a dynamic composition, lending the artwork an intimate, yet transient quality.
