The Laundresses - Edgar Degas
Archival giclée
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Description
A study of working-class life in Paris, this etching captures the quiet, repetitive labour of laundresses through atmospheric tonal work.
Edgar Degas frequently turned his attention to the working women of Paris, observing their repetitive, physically demanding tasks with a detached, analytical eye. In this etching, he captures the atmosphere of a laundry shop, a subject he explored across several media during the late 1870s. The composition is divided by vertical elements, creating a sense of spatial depth that draws the viewer into the cramped, humid environment of the workshop.
One woman leans heavily over her ironing, her posture suggesting the fatigue inherent in her labour. In the foreground, another figure rests, her head bowed in a moment of stillness that contrasts with the activity of the ironer. Degas uses the tonal possibilities of aquatint to suggest the steam and dim light of the interior, softening the edges of the figures and the surrounding furniture. The print avoids sentimentality, focusing instead on the geometry of the bodies and the textures of the workspace.
Degas was a master of the printmaking process, often experimenting with multiple states to refine the balance of light and shadow. This work demonstrates his ability to find aesthetic interest in the mundane routines of urban life. By placing the viewer at a slight distance, he maintains the role of an observer, documenting the social reality of the period without imposing a narrative. The muted, monochromatic palette reinforces the gritty, everyday nature of the scene, allowing the focus to remain on the form and the quiet dignity of the subjects. This print offers a glimpse into the technical skill of an artist who sought to capture the fleeting moments of modern existence through precise, controlled mark-making.
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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
The Laundresses - 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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