Bather Drying Herself
ca. 1892
Medium
Charcoal and pastel, heightened with white chalk, on tracing paper (mounted on cardboard)
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 3/8 x 10 3/8 in. (26.4 x 26.4cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Stephen C. Clark, 1960
Accession Number
61.101.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, Edgar D captured the quiet, private moments of everyday life with unparalleled intimacy, and *Bather Drying Herself (ca. 1892) exemplifies this fascination. This square-format drawing depicts a woman in a candid bathing pose, part of Degas' extensive series exploring female nudes absorbed in rituals. As a leading figure in Impressionism—though he rejected the label—Degas blended realist precision with innovative compositions, often viewing his subjects from unconventional angles to evoke a sense of voyeuristic immediacy. Crafted in charcoal and pastel heightened with...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas · 1834–1917
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...