After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself

Created between 1890 and 1895, After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself is one of Edgar Degas's most accomplished pastels, measuring 103.5 by 98.5 centimetres. The work belongs to a large group of late bather studies in which Degas moved away from the ballet and the racetrack to focus on the private rituals of the female body. Here, a woman sits on white towels spread over a wicker chair, her back to the viewer, spine arching as one hand draws a towel across her neck. The pose conveys both effort and grace, a fleeting private moment captured with the detachment of an observer rather than the gaze of an admirer.\n\nDegas built up the surface through multiple layers of pastel, producing a translucent effect that gives the figure an almost shimmering quality. The dominant palette of Prussian blue, cadmium yellow, and warm ochres creates a warm, intimate atmosphere, while the blurred contours and deep textures lend the work a sense of movement caught mid-gesture. The composition was made on several pieces of paper mounted on cardboard, a working method common in Degas's late practice. The National Gallery in London acquired the work in 1959, where it has since been recognized as one of the finest examples of Degas's late style.