Women Ironing. Degas, Edgar, 1834-1917. Artist : painter Musee d'Orsay. ID=FPO still image Painting eng Among Degas's pictures of women, he fostered an interest over many years in the subject of laundresses. These "women ironing" are far from idealized. Degas's laundresses would have been familiar figures. He shows them sweating away in cramped, dark basements, enabling the well-to-do to have clean, crisp shirts in which to go to the opera, and fresh bed and table linen for elegant sleeping and dining. What Degas conveys is the posture and gesture involved in this menial but skilled work. The arm that lifts and moves the weighty iron contrasts with the woman's other hand, used delicately to maneuver the cloth. As with his dancers, Degas is fascinated by a body so engrossed in activity that it is unselfconscious. Among Degas's pictures of women, he fostered an interest over many years in the subject of laundresses. These "women ironing" are far from idealized. Degas's laundresses would have been familiar figures. He shows them sweating away in cramped, dark basements, enabling the well-to-do to have clean, crisp shirts in which to go to the opera, and fresh bed and table linen for elegant sleeping and dining. What Degas conveys is the posture and gesture involved in this menial but skilled work. The arm that lifts and moves the weighty iron contrasts with the woman's other hand, used delicately to maneuver the cloth. As with his dancers, Degas is fascinated by a body so engrossed in activity that it is unselfconscious. Style: French Realist/Impressionist. School: Realist/Impressionist. Movement: Realism/Impressionism. France. Painting; Art and Art History Collection (Saskia)
Women Ironing.
Degas, Edgar, 1834-1917. Artist : painter
Musee d'Orsay. ID=FPO
still image
Painting
eng
Among Degas's pictures of women, he fostered an interest over many years in the subject of laundresses. These "women ironing" are far from idealized. Degas's laundresses would have been familiar figures. He shows them sweating away in cramped, dark basements, enabling the well-to-do to have clean, crisp shirts in which to go to the opera, and fresh bed and table linen for elegant sleeping and dining. What Degas conveys is the posture and gesture involved in this menial but skilled work. The arm that lifts and moves the weighty iron contrasts with the woman's other hand, used delicately to maneuver the cloth. As with his dancers, Degas is fascinated by a body so engrossed in activity that it is unselfconscious.
Among Degas's pictures of women, he fostered an interest over many years in the subject of laundresses. These "women ironing" are far from idealized. Degas's laundresses would have been familiar figures. He shows them sweating away in cramped, dark basements, enabling the well-to-do to have clean, crisp shirts in which to go to the opera, and fresh bed and table linen for elegant sleeping and dining. What Degas conveys is the posture and gesture involved in this menial but skilled work. The arm that lifts and moves the weighty iron contrasts with the woman's other hand, used delicately to maneuver the cloth. As with his dancers, Degas is fascinated by a body so engrossed in activity that it is unselfconscious.
Style: French Realist/Impressionist.
School: Realist/Impressionist.
Movement: Realism/Impressionism.
France.
Painting;
Art and Art History Collection (Saskia)