After the Bath by Degas

This major work bears witness to the great interest that Degas Edgar had in the realistic representation of the female nude at the end of the nineteenth century. Breaking with the codes of traditional academic painting, this dynamic composition entitled “After the Bath” is proudly inscribed in the Naturalist and Impressionist movement. The artist thus renews the study of the human body by painting daily intimacy in all its truth.

A vigorous female nude is represented from behind, sitting in an attitude full of strength on a chaise longue covered with light sheets. The woman is leaning backwards, her torso twisting in a complex movement to dry herself after bathing. The intense light caresses her generous curves, sculpting the musculature of her shoulders and her back with incredible naturalism. The background of the bedroom is dominated by a bright red wall of exceptional color strength. On the left of the frame, a metal bathtub is visible, confirming the private nature of the moment. This asymmetrical composition creates an impression of direct proximity.

Degas Edgar displays here an extraordinary expertise in modeling the shapes of the body through the play of colors. The energetic lines and the superpositions of pigments restore the warmth of the flesh and the materiality of the sheets. This painting consecrates his technical genius and modern vision of the nude art.