Young Woman Dressing Herself

Edgar Degas, 1885

This drawing shows a woman seen from the back, standing with her head bent forward. She appears to be lifting a white skirt or dress over her head, and her shoulders and neck are covered by white fabric. She is otherwise nude. Her head is entirely obscured except for a sliver of dark hair, and she has pale skin. She stands on a pile of blue and white fabric. The background features green foliage, including grass and a brown tree trunk in the top right corner. The visible lines of the drawing provide some texture.
Artist
Edgar Degas
Date
1885
Type
Drawing
Medium
pastel over charcoal on tan wove(?) paper mounted on board
Dimensions
80.1 × 51.2 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

This drawing shows a woman seen from the back, standing with her head bent forward. She appears to be lifting a white skirt or dress over her head, and her shoulders and neck are covered by white fabric. She is otherwise nude. Her head is entirely obscured except for a sliver of dark hair, and she has pale skin. She stands on a pile of blue and white fabric. The background features green foliage, including grass and a brown tree trunk in the top right corner. The visible lines of the drawing provide some texture.

Edgar Degas