Edgar Degas

Estate of the artist (and sold: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 3ème Vente, April 7-9, 1919, lot 292)
Nunès & Fiquet, Paris
Gustav Knauer, Berlin
W.H. Koenenkamp (acquired by 1954)
Erhard M. Koenenkamp, São Paolo (by descent from the above in 1956)
Private Collection (acquired from the above circa 1960)
Private Collection (by descent from the above and sold: Christie's, New York, May 10, 2007, lot 116)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

The work is executed on a very thin paper layer which has been mounted to a heavier card layer for strength and support. There are a series of small breaks throughout the surface as well as a number of scuffs. There is quite a lot of surface dirt accumulation. Wear is evident along all edges including some small areas of paper loss. The top left corner has broken free and the bottom right corner has been broken and reinforced. The pigment is strong but does appear somewhat worn. Considering the age and size of the piece, the work holds up well, the piece is not going to disintegrate and the image remains striking. The above report was prepared by Alan Firkser of Paper Conservation Inc., an independent conservator who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.

The present work relates to a group of pastels featuring one of Degas’ signature motifs and favorite subjects, that of a female figure at her toilette (see fig. 1). Images of bathers comprised the lion’s share of the artist’s output during the last two decades of his career. In this voyeuristic scene, Degas depicts his model leaning forward as she reaches to dry her head with a towel. This sensual pose accentuates the elongation of her spine and the suppleness of her flesh. Robert Gordon and Andrew Forge write, "By far the greatest number of the bathers are seen from behind, and the face is concealed or turned away in those that are not… The dominant theme is the back: the body seen at its furthest remove from reciprocal address. As the subject of the bathers continues even the notion of the keyhole falls away, and Degas crosses the threshold to a point far beyond ironic audiencehood. The great series of torsos of…women who dry themselves are viewed from close up, no longer spied out from a distance. Closer by far to sculpture than to illustration, their backs occupy the center of the picture and impart a corporeal wholeness to its entire surface" (Robert Gordon & Andrew Forge, Degas, New York, 1988, p. 240).