After the Bath - Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas
Archival giclée
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Description
A candid pastel study by Edgar Degas, capturing a woman in a private moment of bathing with soft, gestural lines and muted tones.
This work by Edgar Degas captures a private moment of a woman drying herself after bathing. Degas moved away from the formal portraiture of his early career to focus on the candid, unposed movements of the human body. He often observed his subjects from unusual angles, treating the figure as a study in form and motion rather than a traditional subject for display.
The composition relies on the tactile quality of pastel. Degas used layered strokes to build the volume of the back and shoulders, allowing the texture of the paper to remain visible in certain areas. His application of colour is restrained, focusing on the interplay of shadow and light across the skin. The figure is curled, creating a sense of intimacy and seclusion. The background is suggested through loose, gestural marks, which prevent the viewer from being distracted by environmental detail.
Degas was fascinated by the mechanics of the body. He produced a large series of works depicting women at their toilette during the latter part of his career. These pieces demonstrate his interest in the way light catches the curve of a spine or the tension in a limb. By avoiding the idealised depictions common in the academic art of his time, he presented a more grounded view of daily life. The artist's signature is visible in the lower left, a mark of his ownership over these private observations. This print captures the soft, powdery finish of the original pastel, preserving the delicate balance between the heavy charcoal outlines and the lighter, blended tones of the skin. It is a study of quiet domesticity, rendered with the precision of a master draughtsman.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
After the Bath - Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas
Artist Biography
Edgar Degas
More than half of his entire output depicts dancers. He became a fixture at the Paris Opera, watching from the wings and from boxes above the stage, sketching not the performance but the work behind it: the stretching, the waiting, the adjusting of shoes, the corrections from the ballet master. The backstage fatigue interested him more than the applause.
In 1881, he exhibited Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, a two-thirds life-size wax figure of Marie van Goethem, a real student at the Opera ballet school. She wore a real tutu, real ballet slippers, and a wig of human hair, all coated in wax. Critics called it repulsive. One described the girl as having a face marked by the hateful promise of every vice. Wax was a material for anatomical specimens, not art. It was the only sculpture he exhibited in his lifetime. After his death, 150 more wax figures were found in his studio, many falling apart.
His eyesight began failing during the Franco-Prussian War. By his forties he had lost central vision. By fifty-seven he could not read. The deterioration drove him from fine brushwork to bolder strokes, then to pastels, then to sculpture he could work by touch. He avoided daylight and painted under controlled artificial light. Collectors joked they should chain their Degas paintings to the wall, because he would try to take them back to rework them. He compulsively revised everything.
He disliked being called an Impressionist. He preferred Realist or Independent. He never painted outdoors, which was supposedly the whole point of the movement. Despite this, he co-founded the group, organised their exhibitions, and showed in all eight. He said: there is love and there is art and we only have one heart. He never married.
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