The artwork “Woman Sponging Her Chest” is a pastel by Edgar Degas, dated circa 1892, associated with the Impressionism movement. The dimensions of this piece are 63.8 x 59.1 cm, and it falls under the genre of nude painting (nu). Presently, the artwork resides in a private collection.
The artwork portrays an intimate moment of personal hygiene. A woman is depicted in the act of sponging her chest, conveying a sense of privacy and everyday routine. Degas often focused on moments such as these, showcasing the human figure in various states of repose or mundane activity. The use of pastel allows for soft, textured details and subtle gradations of color that highlight the contours of the woman’s form, as well as the texture of the sponges and the basin. The composition is candid and unstructured, characteristic of Degas’s unconventional approach to figure painting. His mastery of pastels is evident in the interplay of colors and light, capturing not just the physicality of the scene but also the nuanced atmospherics indicative of impressionist works.