Edgar Degas

Marcel Guérin, Paris

Galerie Quatres Chemins, Paris

Knoedler & Co., New York (acquired from the above)

Henry Ittleson, Jr., New York (acquired from the above in 1954)

Thence by descent

Cambridge, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Degas Monotypes, 1968, no. 43, illustrated in the catalogue 

Paul-André Lemoisne, Degas et son oeuvre, vol. II, Paris, 1946, no. 456, illustrated

Very good condition. The pastel and monotype ink are vibrant and in excellent condition. The sheet is mounted to a wooden strainer, and there are two tiny losses at the tacking edge on the left, center. There is some slight diagonal rippling to the sheet on the upper left and less on the lower right corner. There are tiny, shallow abrasions and glue accretions at the margin at the lower left and left corners and the upper margin at the right. The sheet is slightly discolored around the extreme edges from a previous mat. There is a tiny tear at the lower right corner and a tiny hole at the lower right edge, probably from frame abrasion. Overall, the composition is fresh and in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Voyeurism was central to Degas' artistic objectives and to the intrigue of his compositions.  In his scenes of dancers waiting in the wings, a bather emerging from her tub or, as in the present work, a woman combing her hair, the viewer encounters Degas' models in a private moment.  This beautifully-detailed pastel is one of his more explicit manifestations of the theme, providing us a keyhole view into the brothel as a nude woman prepares herself for her client waiting in the background.   Although most of his scenes of bathers were staged in his studio, Degas brilliantly conveys the sense that we are witnessing an intimate moment. 

Rich in textural detail, Femme nue se coiffant is the result of Degas' direct application of pastel and his use of a unique transfer process known as monotype.  On a metal or glass plate Degas drew the outline of a composition in ink, and then pressed a sheet of paper against the inked plate to create a mirror image.  He then drew directly onto the printed image with pastels, adding color, dimension and detail in the negative spaces left of the paper.   Degas completed this picture in the late 1870s, when his talents and powers of observation were at their most refined.  The present work, therefore, is one of his most successful explorations of this artistic technique and of a theme that would come to define many of the finest compositions of his career.