The Bath

"The Bath" by Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917), executed between 1892 and 1895, exemplifies the artist’s late period focus on intimate domestic scenes. This important work, classified as a print, utilizes the layered complexity of pastel and charcoal applied masterfully to off-white wove paper. Degas frequently employed these dry mediums together to achieve effects that blended the linear precision characteristic of drawing with the subtle, atmospheric coloration often found in painting. By blurring the technical distinction between these methods, Degas continued his commitment to capturing spontaneous moments while maintaining a meticulously structured composition, a hallmark of his French Impressionist style.

The piece belongs to a significant late-career series by Degas that depicts women engaged in private, unobserved acts of hygiene and grooming, a recurring subject for the artist. Unlike traditional academic nudes, which often posed subjects directly for the viewer’s appraisal, Degas aimed for a candid, almost voyeuristic perspective. His focus was on capturing the unselfconscious forms and movements of the subject as she interacted with her environment. Produced in France near the turn of the century, the work reflects the modernist tendency to elevate subjects from everyday life. This exceptional print provides critical insight into the evolution of Degas’s technique and resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.