EDGAR DEGAS | Jeune femme assise

Estate of the artist (and sold: Galeries Georges Petit, Paris, Atelier Edgar Degas, 3ème vente, April 7-9, 1919, lot 380)
Nunès et Fiquet, Paris (acquired at the above sale)
Durand-Ruel, Paris
Edmund W. Mudge, Jr., Dallas (and sold: Sotheby's Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, October 28, 1970, lot 22)
Acquired at the above sale

Phillipe Brame & Theodore Reff, Degas et son oeuvre: A Supplement, New York, 1984, no. 163, illustrated p. 177

The sheet has been laid down to board. The edges of the sheet are irregularly cut. The bottom edge of the sheet has been cut and the signature which was in the bottom left corner has been cut and adhered to the new bottom left corner. There are some minor nicks and abrasions to the extreme outer edge of the board. There are two 2-inch tears to the paper along the upper right edge which have been laid down. The sheet is slightly dirty, and there are some scuffs and abrasions throughout, possibly inherent to the artist's process. The work is in overall good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This work is the first study for a larger pastel, Mme Alexis Rouart et ses enfants (Femme assise dans un jardin) which is now in the Musée du Petit Palais in Paris (see fig. 1). Degas enjoyed a close friendship with Alexis Rouart who, like his brother Henri, was a passionate collector of Impressionist art. Here, Degas seems to depict Madame Rouart surrounded by her unruly children in the exact moment when she is rising out of her chair to discipline them.