EDGAR DEGAS | Après le bain, femme s'essuyant

Estate of the Artist (sale: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Atelier Degas, 2ème vente, 11th-13th December 1918, lot 266)
Ambroise Vollard, Paris (purchased at the above sale)
Sale: Me Dubourg & Bellier, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 25th October 1950
Sale: Me Ader, Palais Galliera, Paris, 13th March 1964, lot 208
Marlborough Fine Art, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1967

Executed on buff coloured wove paper, laid down by the artist onto a thick card mount with a 7cm.-wide strip of joined paper along the lower edge, bearing the stamped signature. The sheet is time-stained with an old mount stain along all four edges which is not visible when framed. There are remnants of old framer's tape along the upper and lower edges with associated areas of skinning along the lower edge and to a lesser extent along the lower left and right edges. The sheet is slightly undulating. There are crease and bubbles associated with the laying down process, which are most visible in raking light, throughout the composition. There is a sinuous repaired tear to the sheet running horizontally from the upper right edge (approx. 10cm.). There are some further nicks and handling marks to the extreme edges consistent with the age of the work. There are some studio marks in the background of the upper left quadrant. The charcoal medium has very slightly faded but is for the most part well preserved. There are some minor surface scratches in places. This work is in overall 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."

The present charcoal study is an archetypal example of one of Degas’ most cherished subjects. Après le bain, femme s'essuyant captures the routine practice of a woman drying herself after bathing; a subject of increasing fascination for the artist throughout the 1880s and 1890s. The private moments of introspection experienced by a woman at her toilette have long captured the attention of the painterly eye. Intent on observing the curation of female beauty from its genesis at the dressing table, the artist has been no stranger to the boudoir since the playful scintillation of the Rococo. For Degas, however, the intimate subject of le bain precedes this drama of decoration.

The artist’s rendering of bathers is a universal ode to the female form without accoutrement, a portrayal made all the more tender by the complete disregard of his subjects for the gaze in which they are held. Degas’ bather is neither odalisque nor nude; rather she is a figure with agency, absorbed entirely in the familiar task of drying herself. Gracefully extending the left arm to reach the side of her chest, the artist reveals the gentle torsion of her back and shoulders through areas of subtle cross-hatching, while the natural contours of the female body are alternatively highlighted and muted by soft shading.

This work appears to be a study for several later works executed mainly in pastel, such as La Sortie du bain, circa 1895, in which the background furnishings are further developed. In the present work, the deliberate focus on the bather, compared with the less worked outlines of her environment, bring to light the artist’s primary concern with the form and movement of the female body. The ability to distil the essence of a subject through the simple consideration of line, light and shade, is captured evocatively.



The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Galerie Brame & Lorenceau.