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Woman in the Bath Drying her Arm

Edgar Degas1880s or 1890s

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

In this late drawing, Degas portrays one of his most iconic subjects, a woman bathing. Leaving much of the paper blank, the artist isolates the figure to underscore the intimacy of the scene. However, with the sharp recession of the bathtub and slight perspective from above, Degas also indicates that the bather is not alone. Further, by depicting her from behind, Degas offers the possibility that the woman does not know she is being watched. With this choice, both the artist's and our status as observers is called into question: are we viewers or voyeurs?

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  • Title: Woman in the Bath Drying her Arm
  • Creator: Edgar Degas
  • Date Created: 1880s or 1890s
  • Location Created: France
  • Physical Dimensions: 40.6 × 29.8 cm (16 × 11 3/4 in.)
  • Type: Drawing
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Charcoal
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 2013.65
  • Culture: French
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Gift of Dr. William and Mrs. Lili Weingarten
  • Creator Display Name: Edgar Degas (French, 1834 - 1917)
  • Classification: Drawings (Visual Works)
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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