Sale: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 2ème vente Degas, December 11-13, 1918, lot 62
Pellet-Jaudé, Paris
Dr. G. Charpentier, Paris (by 1934 and until at least 1936)
Private Collection
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York (acquired from the above in 1998)
Private Collection (acquired from the above)

Paris, Galerie Durand-Ruel, Quelques oeuvres importantes de Corot à Van Gogh, 1934, no. 12 (erroneously dating from 1895)
Paris, Galerie Durand-Ruel, Peintures du XXe siècle, 1936, no. 15, illustrated in the catalogue

Paul-André Lemoisne, Degas et son oeuvre, vol. III, New York and London, 1984, no. 815bis, illustrated p. 467 (with the measurements 77 by 57 cm)

Pastel and charcoal on tracing paper laid down on card. The sheet has been trimmed along the left and right edge by the artist's mounter. The sheet is slightly time-stained. The artist has manipulated his charcoal medium with moisture, which result in the smoother areas of the composition. The pastel has been thinly applied in areas, allowing the tone of the paper to enhance the dimensionality of the composition. The horizontal lines visible at the bottom of the sheet are due to existing creases in the paper, where the artist's medium as accumulated along the crest. Very light gray specks of the artist's fixative are barely visible in the figure's lower back. There are tiny abrasions along the extreme edges due to framing, but none of these affect the appearance of the composition. There is some slight pink/lavender discoloration of the medium at the extreme bottom edge on the left and the left edge at the bottom, due to a previous matting. There is no evidence of restoration. Over all, the support is stable and the work is in extremely good condition. Colors: The colors are overall a bit fresher than they appear in the catalogue illustration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Femme s'essuyant les cheveux is a powerful example of Degas' pastels depicting one of the central subjects of his oeuvre, that of a female nude or semi-nude washing or drying herself after a bath.   This impressive picture is a study for a larger composition now in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena (Lemoisne no. 815).  As in his portrayals of ballet dancers, Degas preferred to capture his models in a private moment, when ♏they appear fully absorbed in their activity, completely unaware of being obs😼erved. The sense of privacy is amplified by the artist's preferred viewpoint, depicting his subject from the back, without revealing her identity. In the present composition, the woman is depicted seated with her back to us, and her upper body is seen twisted in the process of drying her hair. Her face is hidden by the sweeping tendrils of her hair and the towel that she holds in her raised left hand, while she balances herself with her right arm.

 

Discussing Degas' depictions of bathers, Richard Kendall wrote: "The exceptional range, both pictorial and psychological, of Degas's depictions of women seems essential to their collective and individual meaning [...] Wilfully revisiting certain gestures, such as the crooked elbow in After the bath, woman drying herself and Woman seen from behind, drying her hair, Degas seemed determined to exhaust the language of the human body and the nuances of its representation" (R. Kendall, Degas: Beyond Impressionism (ex. cat.), op. cit., p. 231). Never tiring of returning to the same subjౠect, the artist explored the femal🌃e body in a variety of poses and angles, exploring the nuances of movement and form. Degas often used his own photographs of women at their toilette, as well as his bronze sculptures of the same subject, from which he would sketch charcoal or pastel drawings.

This work has been requested for the forthcoming exhibition, Edgar Degas. Intimacy and Pose, to be held at the Hamburger Kunsthalle  from February 6 until May 3, 2009.