Woman Seated in an Armchair, Wiping Her Left Armpit
c. 1890s
Medium
pigmented beeswax, plastiline, metal armature, cork, wood, on wooden base
Dimensions
overall without base: 32.2 x 18.9 x 33.6 cm (12 11/16 x 7 7/16 x 13 1/4 in.) height (of figure): 27.7 cm (10 7/8 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Accession Number
1985.64.60
Art Historical Context
In the late 1890s, Edgar Degas crafted *Woman Seated in an Armchair, Wiping Her Left Armpit*, a intimate mixed-media sculpture that captures a private, unguarded moment. Standing just under 11 inches tall, the figure is modeled in pigmented beeswax and plastiline over a metal armature, with cork details and a wooden base. This unconventional medium allowed Degas to achieve lifelike textures—soft skin, tousled hair, and relaxed musculature—reflecting his fascination with the female form in everyday vulnerability. Degas, a master of Impressionism who preferred the label "Realist," produced over...
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 ...