Breakfast after the Bath

Breakfast after the Bath is a powerful drawing created by Edgar Degas French, 1834-1917, likely executed between 1895 and 1898. Though chronologically produced after the high point of the Impressionism movement in France, this piece exhibits the period's commitment to capturing intimate, unposed moments of contemporary domestic life. Executed in pastel on paper laid down on board, the work demonstrates the artist's late style, favoring broad, energetic strokes, vibrant color, and an emphasis on movement and volume over meticulous line work. The medium of pastel, which Degas masterfully utilized late in his career, allowed him to bridge the gap between drawing and painting.

Degas repeatedly explored the private world of women performing everyday ablutions, a subject that allowed him to experiment with unconventional viewpoints and compositions inspired by Japanese prints. In Breakfast after the Bath, the artist presents a highly intimate, almost voyeuristic glimpse of two figures, presumably a mistress and a maid, engaged in the morning ritual. The density of the pastel medium allows Degas to build layers of light and texture, giving the scene a soft, atmospheric quality despite the intensity of the color palette. The contrast between the warm, rosy tones of the flesh and the sharp, cool blues and greens of the surrounding environment enhances the immediacy of the moment.

This late-career drawing highlights Degas’s artistic evolution from the academic precision of his youth to the fluid, experimental style that defined his contribution to modern French art. The raw energy and formal experimentation found in the work cemented his reputation as one of the great draftsmen of his era, even as his eyesight deteriorated. This significant piece is part of the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a masterpiece of Impressionism, high-quality prints and reproductions of this artwork often enter the public domain, ensuring its continued study and appreciation globally.