In the mid 1880s Degas created a large series of nude women at their toilettes which were included in an exhibition of Impressionist painters in Paris in 1886. The reception of this series was mixed, some praising it for Degas's portrayal of realistic women in their everyday lives as opposed to idealized goddesses. Others though thought the pieces women were ugly and looked like sex workers. Part of the great beauty of these pieces though, is that stripped of their clothing and other adornments, it is nearly impossible to tell the social class or occupation of these women, they are simply modern women, in a moment of vulnerability.
SKU: 6523
Creator: Edgar Degas
Date: 1898
Location: Louvre Museum