Edgar Degas
In an 1894 article, the art critic Théodore Duret wrote of the novel ways Edgar Degas was addressing the female figure, observing that the artist placed his women “in interiors, among rich fabrics and cushioned furniture. He has no goddesses to offer, none of the legendary heroines of tradition, but the woman as she is, occupied with her ordinary habits of life or of the toilette." Duret’s comment reveals one of the pictorial obsessions that guided Degas’s art from the 1890s onwards: the representation of a woman at her toilette, nude or clothed, quietly and completely consumed by the ritualistic act of bathing, dressing, or, as in the striking La Coiffure (La Toilette), styling her hair.
The pastel we present today depicts a woman reclining in her chair as a maidservant brushes out her hair, the young woman’s head pulled back by the force of the brush. Her right hand is raised to her scalp, in an effort to relieve the tension from her attendant’s combing, and her left arm is elevated, her fingers clenched, betraying the physical toll of this part of her toilette. She is robed in a sumptuous blue peignoir, a luxurious dressing-gown designed specifically for this purpose, the name of the garment deriving from the French verb “peigner,” meaning “to comb.” Various accessories are arrayed on the nearby table, including ribbons, hairbrushes, combs, scissors, and a bottle of ointment.
Have a great Monday!
P.S. Want more Impressionist magic in your daily routine? Our DailyArt Calendars for 2026 feature masterpieces from Degas and his contemporaries—perfect for starting each day with a moment of art and beauty.
P.P.S. Degas is best known for his depictions of ballet dancers. But his art is far more than that. Discover 5 superb Edgar Degas paintings that are not ballerinas!