Edgar Degas

Estate of the artist (and sold: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Atelier Edgar Degas, troisième vente, April 7-9, 1919, lot 290)
Nunès et Fiquet (acquired at the above sale)
Private Collection, New York

Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Degas, no. 80, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, The Elkon Gallery, Inc., Degas, 2001, no. 7, illustrated in color in the catalogue

In fairly good condition. Laid down on paper with small losses at all edges. The work is time darkened overall. Scattered fox marks throughout, mostly in the upper register. Executed on multiple sheets, the main sheet which has most of the medium is a slightly different paper tone; though it seems now faded, it tends towards blue. Added strips of paper (apparently adjoined by the artist) include several on the left side (about 5 inches in width) on the right (about 3 inches wide) and the lower edge (about 6 inches in height). All these added strips of paper have some stains, losses, and repairs, showing some wear. The paper joins (or seams) are visible, especially lower left of the figure, under her elbow, and at the lower center edge.
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.

No other subjects in Degas' oeuvre are as visually enticing and seductive as his bathers. These voyeuristic scenes of nude women, pampering themselves at their toilettes, have earned their place among the most desirable images in the history of modern art. At the turn of the century, Degas devoted his production almost exclusively to these intimate depictions so that he could study the contours of the female form at close proximity. Many of the models for these compositions were the young dancers from the ballet, who were now invited to pose for long hours in the drafty confines of Degas' studio. No matter how strenuous these sessions were for his models, their discomfort is never evident in these depictions. In this sensuous charcoal from 1895, Degas depicts the nude in the intimate act of scrubbing herself. The pose accentuates the elongation of the figure's spine. Her creamy flesh is expressed by the tone of the sheet, mainly unadorned but for the white highlights and deft charcoal shading.

As opposed to his studies of ballerinas, his renditions of bathers were freed from social expectations and the choreographed poses of the stage. Degas is quoted on this point as follows: "Until now the nude has always been presented in poses which assume the presence of an audience, but these women of mine are decent, simple human beings who have no other concern than that of their physical condition [...] it is as though one were watching them through a keyhole'' (quoted in Goetz Adriani, Degas: Pastels, Oil Sketches, Drawings, London, 1985, p. 86). Degas' achievement in the Bathers series is thus to continue a degree of realism previously unknown.