Edgar Degas

Sale: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Tableaux, Pastels et dessins par Edgar Degas et provenant de son atelier, 6th, 7th & 8th May 1918, lot 208
Ambroise Vollard, Paris (acquired by 1936)
Private Collection, Paris
Acquired by the family of the present owner in the late 1970s

Paris, Galerie Vollard, Degas, 1936
Paris, Galerie Charpentier, Chefs-d'œuvre de Collections Françaises, 1962, no. 30

Paul-André Lemoisne, Degas et son œuvre, New York, 1984, vol III, no. 1076, illustrated p. 625

Executed on a wove paper, not laid down, wrapped around a thick board either by the artist or the artist's studio. There are a few very light scratches and minor surface abrasions in places, including one to the lower right corner, one to the deep pink rocks in the upper right corner, and one horizontal abrasion across the legs of the figure in the foreground. There is some very light frame abrasion to the extreme edges. Otherwise, this work is in overall good condition. Colours: overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, though the greens are slightly more prominent in the sea in the original.
"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."

Femmes au bain depicts a group of bathers washing themselves on the seashore. What is immediately striking about the work is its stunning palette of pinks and blues and the richness of its surface, testament to the artist’s mastery of pastel as a medium. Degas was not the only modern artist to turn his attention to the theme of the bathers: Paul Cézanne’s monumental figures are perhaps the earliest modern examples, followed by a wonderfully broad range of interpretations from avant-garde masters including Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Gauguin, as well as many of the key German Expressionists. It was a subject that offered great scope for a profound exploration of the nude in action. Degas most often depicted his bathers alone within the intimate confines of a bathroom, and the present work is a rare example of him portraying a group of nudes in an outdoor landscape. The present work retains the same sense of voyeurism that characterises the ‘through the keyhole’ perspective of his bath-time bathers, choosing to depict the women from behind to emphasise the unselfconscious character of their movements. We, as the viewer, are invited to join the artist in his position of voyeur to this thoroughly modern snapshot of a transitory moment.

With his depictions of bathers, Degas was clearly reacting against the idealism of Salon nudes and the unnatural pomp that stemmed from their artificial poses. The overarching aim that unifies all of Degas’s artistic production – irrespective of subject or medium – was his fascination and obsession with capturing movement. Indeed it was this quest to capture the body in movement that led to his celebrated voyeuristic viewpoints: he realised that if his subjects were unaware of his presence then he could be privy to a much wider variety of muscular stretches and contortions, the less self-conscious the gesture the better. It was the same with his depictions of dancers: the artist cared little for depicting the most obvious splendour of a pirouette, placing far greater importance and focus on the dancer stretching, yawning or adjusting her clothing. Degas was above all concerned with offering the viewer a more honest depiction of the realities of modern life, whether it be the loneliness of an absinthe drinker in a city bar, the fatigue of a dancer in training, or just the humble routine of washing oneself, drying oneself, or having one’s hair brushed. As far as Degas was concerned, the less glamorous the perspective the better, and the result was an extremely distinctive and decidedly modern artistic output, that continues to be of great inspiration to artists to this day. It comes as little surprise that Lucian Freud credits Degas as one of his major influences.

The accomplished and daring way that Degas learnt to manipulate pastel resulted in some remarkably rich and varied textures which preserve a real sense of the artist’s energetic handling and execution. Femmes au bain is an excellent example of this mastery of pastel and a veritable cocktail of hatch marks, shading, layering and scratching. The surface is very fully worked and in this sense the artist’s presence seems somehow closer and more vivid than in the more finished execution of his oil paintings. There is something remarkably vital and effervescent about the way that Degas uses pastel which particularly suits the splashing water of the present work. It is an absolutely charming scene, a communal moment imbued with a delightful poetic intimacy. A group of women have come down to this small rocky cove to refresh themselves from the heat of the day, splashing their bodies with the cool water and enjoying the sun on their backs. The soft, fleshy pinks of their bodies contrast with the vibrant turquoise tones of the water, further complemented by the beautiful deep pink of the rocks behind.