Woman Arranging Her Hair

original wax possibly late 1880s/1890s, cast 1920/1962

Edgar Degas

Associated Names
Edgar Degas

Sculptor, French, 1834 - 1917

The sculpture depicts a nude human figure standing upright, with both arms raised and bent at the elbows. The figure appears to be in the process of putting on or pulling off a garment over its head. The figure is finely modeled, capturing the contours and proportions of the human form with a sense of fluidity and movement. The sculpture is made of bronze, giving it a patinated surface with a warm brown to greenish color variation. This coloration enhances the naturalistic appearance of the figure, and the textured surface of the material adds depth and dimension to the sculpture. The figure is mounted on a flat, square base that supports the composition. The proportions and posture of the figure make it resemble an average-sized adult in a naturalistic style.
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On View

West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G4

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    copper alloy

  • Credit Line

    Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon

  • Dimensions

    overall with base: 46.5 x 26.1 x 15.2 cm (18 5/16 x 10 1/4 x 6 in.)
    height (of figure): 46.1 cm (18 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1985.64.65

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(A.A. Hébrard, Paris). sold by December 1962 to (Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., London);[1] sold December 1964 to Paul Mellon [1907-1999], Upperville, Virginia; gift 1985 to NGA.
[1] This information was kindly supplied by Mrs. Mary Miller, Marlborough Fine Art (London) Ltd., letter of 24 September 2002 to Anne Halpern, in NGA curatorial files.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1978

  • Degas, Virginia Museum, Richmond, 1978, no. 49.

Bibliography

1962

  • [Cat. No. 111], Marlborough Fine Art Limited, London, 1962: no. 10.

1991

  • Pingeot, Anne. Degas Sculptures. Paris, 1991: no. 62.

1994

  • Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994: 70, repro.

1995

  • Campbell, Sara. "A Catalogue of Degas' Bronzes." Apollo 142 (August 1995): 35, no. 50.

2002

  • Czestochowski, Joseph S., and Anne Pingeot. Degas--Sculptures. Catalogue Raisonné of the Bronzes. Memphis, 2002: 219.

2010

  • Lindsay, Suzanne Glover, Daphne S. Barbour, and Shelley G. Sturman. Edgar Degas Sculpture. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 2010: no. 44, 264-265, color repro.

Inscriptions

on top of base in front right corner: Degas [stamped replica of artist's signature]; on top of base in rear left corner: CIRE/PERDUE/A.A. HEBRARD; stamped to left of foundry mark: 50/M

Markings

FM: A.A. Hebrard

Wikidata ID

Q63860804

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