Edgar Degas

Vente : Atelier Edgar Degas, 2^ème vente, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, décembre 1918, lot 316
M. Stettiner (acquis lors de cette vente)
François Lang, Paris (acquis dans les années 1930)
Isabel Goüin, Paris
Par descendance au propriétaire actuel

Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André, Chefs d'œuvres des collections françaises, 1961 (probablement)

Executed on transfer paper, fixed on paper along the four edges. There are a few artist's pinholes along the edges and some slight light staining along the four edges. Close inspection also reveals a 0.7 cm long paper loss at the upper left corner with some smaller minor losses along the upper right and left edges (not visible when framed). This work remains in 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

stamped 'Degas' (lower left), charcoal on transfer paper.

A partir des années 1880, l'un des principaux sujets de prédilection de Degas devient la femme nue saisie dans son intimité de tous les jours: se baignant, se lavant, se séchant les pieds, se faisant peigner ou encore s'essuyant la nuque, comme c'est le cas dans ce superbe et raffiné dessin. Que cela soit dans ses œuvres au crayon, au fusain ou dans celles plus colorées au pastel, l'artiste s'attache à un rendu naturaliste des corps, représentant ses modèles dans un réalisme sans fard. Dans les multiples nus qu'il dépeint, Degas s'intéresse rarement au visage. Les femmes sont le plus souvent montrées de dos. Car, comme dans ses représentations des danseuses, ce qui préoccupe avant tout l'artiste, c'est la forme, les volumes, la pesanteur des corps, le mouvement. 

En dépit du caractère prosaïque de cette scène intime, qui semble avoir été saisie sur le vif par le peintre, Degas réussit, par sa technique admirable, à donner à son modèle une grâce, une majesté, un sentiment d'éternité. Ainsi que le souligne très justement Octave Mirbeau, Degas parvient à "dégager [...] d'une forme la pure essence".

Le présent dessin provient de la collection du pianiste et collectionneur François Lang, qui fut déporté et mourut à Auschwitz en 1943. Il est l'une des œuvres préparatoires au superbe pastel exécuté par Degas vers 1882-85, Après le bain (Femme s'essuyant), l'un des nus les plus aboutis et les plus élégants de l'artiste, vendu par Sotheby's en février 2013 (Fig. 1).

In the 1880s, the naked female figure became one of Degas’s preferred subjects, captured in the intimacy of everyday scenes, washing, bathing, drying her feet, combing her hair or drying her neck as is the case of this superb and refined drawing. Whether working in pencil, charcoal or coloured pastels, Degas endeavored to create a naturalistic representation of the body, depicting his models with unembellished realism. In the many nudes he portrayed, Degas was rarely concerned with the face. The women are more often shown from behind. As in his pictures of dancers, the artist was above all interested in rendering the form, volume, weight and movement of the body.

Despite the prosaic character of this intimate scene, which seems to have been captured from life by the painter, Degas succeeded in endowing his model with grace, majesty, and a feeling of eternity thanks to his admirable technique. As Ocatave Mirabeau justly pointed out, Degas succeeds in “drawing out […] the pure essence of a form.”

The present drawing comes from the collection of the pianist and collector François Lang, who was deported and died in Auschwitz in 1943. It is one of the preparatory works for a superb pastel produced by Degas in around 1882-85, Après le bain (Femme s’essuyant), one of the artist’s most accomplished and elegant nudes, sold by Sotheby’s in February 2013 (Fig. 1).