FEMME ASSISE DANS UN FAUTEUIL, S'ESSUYANT L'AISSELLE GAUCHE

FEMME ASSISE DANS UN FAUTEUIL, S'ESSUYANT L'AISSELLE GAUCHE BEARS SIMILARITIES TO NUMEROUS PAINTINGS AND PASTELS IN WHICH DEGAS DEPICTS A SEATED BATHER DRYING HERSELF. BY REWORKING THE SUBJECT IN THE THIRD DIMENSION OF SCULPTURE, AND ELIMINATING ALL COLOR EXCEPT THE RICH REDDISH-BROWN HUE OF THE WAX (SIMULATED IN THE TONE OF THE PATINA ON THE BRONZE CAST), DEGAS REVEALS THE CLASSICAL ASPECT OF THIS POSE. BATHER AND CHAIR ARE COMPLETELY AND CONVINCINGLY INTEGRATED: THE RESULT IS MONUMENTAL. WITH CHARACTERISTIC ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND SUBTLE EFFECTS, DEGAS CAREFULLY WORKS THE SURFACE SO THAT LIGHT PASSES OVER IT IN A LIVELY, IMPRESSIONISTIC MANNER; IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE SCULPTURE OF MEDARDO ROSSO MAY HAVE INFLUENCED HIS MODELING TECHNIQUE AT THIS LATER STAGE IN HIS CAREER. IN CONTRAST TO THE ITALIAN SCULPTOR'S FRAGILE WAX-COVERED FIGURES, HOWEVER, DEGAS INVESTS HIS SUBJECT WITH FULL SCULPTURAL WEIGHT. WHILE THE PASTELS AND PAINTINGS EVOKE A POWERFUL PANOPLY OF EMOTIONS--THROUGH THEIR SEARING INTENSITY OF COLOR AND RICHLY RENDERED SURFACES--THE SCULPTURE IS MORE SELF-CONTAINED, EARTHY, BUT NONETHELESS HEROIC AND TIMELESS IN ITS DEPICTION OF THE BATHER CAPTURED DURING AN ORDINARY MOMENT IN HER DAILY ROUTINE.