Woman Combing Her Hair Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

The painting depicts a woman from behind, seated and in the process of combing her long, reddish-brown hair, which is pulled up into a large bun. Her body is rendered in soft, pale tones, highlighting the curves of her back, arms, and legs. She appears to be sitting on a textured surface, possibly a rug or woven mat, and is partially draped in a white towel. To her right, a hairbrush rests on the towel. The background is a warm, textured orange, suggesting a wall or screen. The artists signature, Degas, is visible in the upper right corner.

Subtexts:

• Intimacy and Private Life: The scene captures a private, intimate moment of personal grooming. The unguarded pose and the focus on a mundane act emphasize the vulnerability and realism of the subject, inviting the viewer into a more personal space.
• Femininity and Beauty: The act of combing hair is often associated with femininity and self-care. The painting accentuates the natural beauty of the female form through its soft rendering and the way light plays on the skin.
• Sensory Experience: The soft pastel colors and the visible texture of the strokes evoke a tactile and visual sense. The viewer can almost feel the silkiness of the hair, the smoothness of the skin, and the roughness of the background.
• Modernity and Everyday Life: Edgar Degas was known for depicting contemporary life. In this work, he moves away from idealized nudes to portray a more realistic and relatable woman engaged in an everyday activity, reflecting a shift in artistic subject matter towards the ordinary.
• Observation and Form: Degas was a master of capturing movement and form. The pose, with the womans back muscles engaged as she pulls her hair, showcases his keen observation of the human body and his ability to translate that into artistic expression.