Young Woman Half-Naked
- Original dimensions
- 30 x 47 cm
Scene depicted
In the painting Young Woman Half-Naked , Degas manages to convey the delicacy of a suspended moment. A woman, half-naked, stands in a thoughtful pose, suggesting simultaneous vulnerability and strength. The light caresses her skin like a gentle whisper, while the room resonates with an atmosphere of calm. This painting does not merely depict a figure; it captures the soul of a tiny moment of daily life.
Historical context
Œuvre : Young Woman Half-Naked |BRK| Artiste : Edgar Degas |BRK| Année : 1867 |BRK| Musée : Kunstmuseum Basel |BRK| Dimensions : 30 x 47 cm |BRK|
Place in the artist's career
This painting marks a crucial step in Degas's career. It reflects his transition from an academic style to a more free and bold expression. At the same time, works such as The Dance Class and The Dancers at Rest show the evolution of his taste for psychological depth and movement, thus linking intimacy to dynamism, as he brilliantly does in Young Woman Half-Naked .
Anecdote
Degas, often immersed in his inner thoughts, once declared: “Painting is a journey into the invisible.” This phrase evokes the magic buried behind his painting , inspired one spring morning when he crossed the face of a young woman near a stream. His gaze captured not only an image but the very essence of feminine intimacy, which vibrates through every brushstroke of this canvas .