Woman Taken Unawares
late 1880s/early 1890s
Medium
pigmented beeswax, metal armature, cork, on wooden base
Dimensions
overall without base: 41.3 x 24.1 x 16.1 cm (16 1/4 x 9 1/2 x 6 5/16 in.) height (of figure): 41 cm (16 1/8 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Accession Number
1985.64.51
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 ...