Nude Woman with Towel, Standing 1891 - 1892

Edgar Degas created this monotype, Nude Woman with Towel, Standing, in France during the late 19th century. At this time, the female nude was a staple of academic art, but Degas was not interested in idealizing the female form. Instead, he sought to capture the body in motion, in the midst of everyday life. Here, the model seems unaware of the viewer, as she dries herself with a towel. The monotype technique—printing an image from a painted surface—allowed Degas to create a sense of immediacy and intimacy. The loose lines and soft tones suggest a fleeting moment, as if we are catching a glimpse of the model in her private space. To understand Degas’ work, we might turn to sources such as letters, reviews, and exhibition catalogs, to reconstruct the social and artistic milieu in which he was working. Art history allows us to see how artists like Degas challenged traditional notions of beauty and representation.