Woman in a Bathtub, 1889 modeled (cast 1920-21) no. 26/C
Edgar Degasexpand_more
Bronzeexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 89.99
G351expand_more
Taking an unusual approach to the traditional theme of the nude bather, and introducing color into his original wax sculpture (through tinted waxes, a lead ring for the tub’s rim, and plaster-soaked cloth puddled at the tub’s edge), Degas achieved a work of daring modernity. Much of The Tub’s impact, as well as its charm, derives from Degas’s clever way of making a full view possible only from directly overhead. Yet the arrangement of the bather’s arms and legs, combined with her self-absorption as she performs her ablutions, results in a carefree innocence that foils the most prurient gaze.
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Details
- Title
- Woman in a Bathtub
- Artist Life
- 1834 - 1917
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 89.99
- Curator Approved
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