Woman Seen from Behind, Drying Hair 1910

Edgar Degas made this drawing, *Woman Seen from Behind, Drying Hair*, with charcoal and pastel on paper. I can almost feel him sketching, rubbing, smudging, as he captures this intimate moment. I imagine Degas in his studio, hunched over the paper, charcoal in hand, his gaze intense. What was he thinking as he rendered the curve of her back, the fall of her hair? There's a tension between the quick, gestural lines and the soft, blended tones. The blues and yellows create a warm and inviting atmosphere, while the bold strokes add a sense of urgency. Look at the way the charcoal defines her spine, each stroke a deliberate mark, communicating both form and feeling. Degas was always experimenting, pushing the boundaries of form and perception. His work reminds me of other artists like Bonnard and Vuillard, who were also fascinated by the everyday. Ultimately, these artists are in conversation, bouncing ideas off each other across time. Painting is about embracing ambiguity and uncertainty and allowing for multiple interpretations.