After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself
Item
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Title
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After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself
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Description
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After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself is a pastel drawing by Edgar Degas, made between 1890 and 1895. Since 1959, it has been in the collection of the National Gallery, London. This work is one in a series of pastels and oils that Degas created depicting female nudes.
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Date
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1890- 1895
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Material
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Pastel on wove paper.
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Measurements
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103.5 × 98.5 cm (40.7inches × 38.8 inches)
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Analysis
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Presents women as unaware subjects, reinforcing voyeurism:
(19th Century) In After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself, Degas shows a woman caught in a private moment, unaware that anyone is watching. With her back turned and relaxed posture, the viewer becomes a silent observer, which adds to the feeling of voyeurism. Instead of meeting the viewer’s gaze, she is simply looked at, studied, and visually consumed. This approach reflects a common trend in 19th-century art, where women are shown not as active participants but as subjects whose bodies are open to detached observation by the male gaze.
