Actresses in Their Dressing Rooms

Actresses in Their Dressing Rooms is an intimate print created by Edgar Degas between 1879 and 1880. This piece utilizes the demanding technique of etching and aquatint on Arches laid paper. The combination of etching for precise line work and aquatint for broad, textural tones allowed Degas to capture the soft, atmospheric lighting and shadowy corners characteristic of private, backstage environments. The medium itself reinforces the quiet, unposed nature of the scene, portraying two women in various stages of undress or costume adjustment.

Degas, working in France during the late 19th century, was renowned for depicting the private lives of contemporary performers, moving beyond the glamorous public spectacle to show moments of relaxation, exhaustion, or preparation. Unlike many of his contemporaries who favored landscapes, Degas focused his attention on modern Parisian life, particularly the world of ballet, opera, and theater. This work highlights his fascination with capturing spontaneous, unguarded poses as the women adjust their clothing or wait before or after a performance. The composition emphasizes the contrast between the performers’ elaborate theatrical costumes and the functional, sometimes cluttered reality of their working space.

Though known primarily for his oils and pastels, Degas explored printmaking extensively throughout his career, seeing it as a critical way to experiment with light and texture that differed significantly from his two-dimensional work. This important print exemplifies the artist’s mastery of the graphic arts and resides in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because many important works from this period of French art are available through institutional archives, high-resolution reproductions of Degas’s prints, including those similar to this exceptional example, are often made accessible in the public domain for scholarly research and appreciation.