After the Bath 2 by Degas

This ambitious work combines the classic theme of the artistic nude and genre painting in a composition of great formal modernity. The Impressionist master Degas Edgar produces with “After the Bath 2” a complex domestic scene that explores the dynamics of female intimacy within the closed space of the bedroom. This painting realistically expresses the simple and mute complicity of the daily toilette between the mistress and her maid.

A nude woman, seen from behind, is seated on the edge of her bathtub while vigorously drying her long red hair with a large white towel. At her side, her maid dressed in a simple dark dress bustles about, handing her a comb and helping her in the gestures of her intimate toilette. The room is saturated with warm colors, with an orange and yellow background that evokes an intimate, closed and protective atmosphere. The bold composition uses oblique lines of force created by the metal bathtub in the foreground and the movement of the arms. The light envelops the scene with a soft and natural glow.

The oil painting technique is distinguished by thick, superimposed strokes that give exceptional relief to the material. The artist succeeds in brilliantly translating the different textures of wet skin, dense hair, and cotton fabrics, as well as the soft, humid atmosphere of the private room.