Introduction
“…it is not hard to understand Degas’s reaction to it. It has all the qualities that distinguish Cassatt’s most powerful Impressionist-phase pictures; it is highly realistic, in both a physical and psychological sense; it shows a solitary female figure unaware of being observed; its coloring (almost entirely shades of rose and white) is extremely subtle; and it is composed in such a way that the image one sees is enlivened by its fusion with the picture surface. (Munson, 1999)” This was said of an exhibition that showed in Washington, DC at the National Gallery of Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas’s work. The two artists were long time friends during the Impressionist period in France in the late 1800. Because of their friendship and subject matter their work is often compared. Both artists chose to depict the female figure as the subject for many of their works. Throughout her career Cassatt’s work was scrutinized more so then her contemporaries because working as an artist was not an appropriate life to lead for any woman at this time. As such she sought to disconnect herself from her work, “her neutrality, or disinterestedness, enable her to paint extraordinarily compelling pictures of people… (Munson, 1999).” Her work focused on technique, mastering movement and the feeling the painting should invoke in the audience. Degas also focus his subject matter on everyday people in their daily lives. His technique was mastered through self-taught study and copying the masters at the Louvre. (Edgar Degas, 2017) Though Degas is best known for his ballerina’s, he also completed a series of nudes in which women were bathing. Both subject matters are created with the intention that the subjects didn’t know they were being watched however he’s nudes take on a voyeuristic aspect that Cassatt’s figure do not.
One of the reasons for this is the male gaze, which is “the patriarchal unconscious and spectatorial pleasure (Hollinger, 2012)” which is put upon women. It has been used in many forms of art work, and in today’s society it is also used in media. However in the case of Degas’s After the Bath (Woman Drying Herself) and Cassatt’s The Child’s Bath the voyeuristic feeling achieved in each piece is based on the development of the scene as oppose to the gaze.
Body
Edgar Degas was a French artist who worked along side the Impressionist group of artists based in Paris. Impressionist paintings are colourful landscapes or scenes with an elusive haze to them. This was because the artists wanted to capture a moment in time but unlike painting styles that came before it Impressionism was not a freeze frame of time but movement caught in action. The scenes that were being depicted had life before the painting and continued to have life and action after the work was complete. Although Degas was part of the Impressionist movement which was the popular style of painting at the time he considered himself a realist (Seventh Art Productions, 1998). Degas preferred this term because his line work and subject matter differed from other artists in the movement. The line work of a majority of Impressionist artists was uneven and undefine this is how they achieved movement in their paintings. Degas however studied the works of classical artists and preferred to have clean distinct line work to define the forms in his pieces (Seventh Art Productions, 1998). This line work can be seen in his series of works After the Bath which were exhibited at the Salon in Paris in 1896 (Seventh Art Productions, 1998).
Using After the Bath (Woman Drying Herself) as an example we can see heavy charcoal lines framing the woman’s body as well as being used being used to define the folds of the fabric the woman has under her body and in the background of the scene along the wall, tub and within the shadows. It is safe to say that if any of the other Impressionist artist were capturing this scene the background would not contain this heavy line work or have such saturated colouring to it. Because it is in the background the colours would be a lot more muted to show that they are farther back and undefinable. Degas’s use of shading is another key element that defines he’s style. Where the Impressionist shading was hazy, Degas’s shading forms the fullness of the figure in the foreground. The most refined part of the artwork is the woman drying her body. The rest of the objects in the piece have little rendering of forms. The wall in the background is flat with only slight variation in tone, and the tub is identifiable as such because it’s in context to the woman, but again the tub itself is flat with little depth development. Even the space in which the woman is drying herself is undefined. The object she is resting on could be a pile of fabric or a chaise lounging chair as the viewer can see an exact form beneath the draped fabric. The shading on the woman’s body is the most developed part of the artwork.
Degas, “After the Bath (Woman Drying Herself")”
At the time of exhibition the After the Bath series was controversial because of the way in which Degas decided to depict the women in the works. Before this, nudes were always depicted in posed scenes and there was an intension behind the way in which the figures were posed (Seventh Art Productions, 1998). Previously in paintings of nudes the subjects were usually facing the audiences so there was an implication and awareness that the human body was going to be seen by others. In classical art the human body was usually painted in the nude during times of combat as a way to depict strength and virility. In Degas’ series the viewer of the work is unaddressed by the subject matter which gives the illusion that we are looking at something we shouldn’t, something private is being seen. Although this is the feeling achieved in the scene all the bathers were models used by Degas and staged in the After the Bath scenes in his studio (Seventh Art Productions, 1998), the models fully aware of the intension behind the work. Despite the fact that these scenes were staged and Degas had time to refine the piece, but he didn’t. It’s not only the male gaze that creates a feeling of spying on something private, it’s the rushed nature of the work. As if the artist was hurried when capturing the scene, he couldn’t finish the drawing before the woman was done. When comparing the voyeurism of Degas’s After the Bath (Woman Drying Herself) to Mary Cassatt’s The Child’s Bath, 1893 the audience doesn’t have the same feelings.
Mary Cassatt was a rarity amongst the Impressionist, she was an American and a woman studying painting in Paris. At the time, painting and wanting to become a professional artist was not an acceptable way to live, as she came from a well-to-do family she was expected to marry and start a family (Munson,1999). However Cassatt decided to regret this life and dedicated herself to painting and studying the arts, and through her commitment she “master[ed] three different madia: oil painting, pastel and printmaking (Higonnet, 1999).” Although her father didn’t agree with her chosen career path because she came from a family with money she was able to study under different teachers and travel through Europe studying the masters on display in museums (Higonnet, 1999). Cassatt discovered Degas’ work on display in the window in Paris and immediately became enamoured with his technique. Cassatt began a friendship with Degas after her works were accepted to a couple of group exhibition at the Salon in Paris and he invited to be part of the Impressionist artist group the Independents (Higonnet, 1999). Their works influenced each other even though the subject matter and techniques differed. They were able to find a comradery perhaps because they were slightly on the fringes of what the Impressionist were creating at the time. Degas focused on creating works indoors and Cassatt was a woman and the other Independent artists focused on painting outdoors (Edgar Degas, 2017). Mary Cassatt’s The Child’s Bath is painted with more care and consideration for the subject matter than Degas’s bathers.
Cassatt, “The Child’s Bath”
A mother bathing her child using a basin of water is the subject matter of The Child’s Bath, and admittingly this could be a private, guarded time for the two figures in the scene they are not phased by someone watching them. Unlike Degas’ work the colours in Cassatt’s piece are softer and the hard black line work that Degas enforced isn’t found in this scene. Soft edges around the figures and the objects are a staple of the Impressionist. The mother is gently washing the child’s feet, while the child holds on to the mother’s leg to stop from falling. Even the hand wrapped around the child’s waist to help support them is holding on to them lightly. Furthermore unlike Degas’ work this piece has a fully developed scene for the characters to exist in. The brightly coloured rug makes the white patterned dress the woman is wearing stand out. And the soft background could be a flat colour but instead Cassatt has added a pattern creating the illusion of a sofa, or decorative cabinetry.
Conclusion
Looking at Degas’ After the Bath (Woman Drying Herself) the voyeur is depicted as having a male gaze placed on the woman in the artwork. We can image that when the woman turns around she will be startled to find us there. Where as Cassatt’s The Child’s Bath, both subjects know the viewers is there male or not, and they are not intimidated as if to suggest they know the viewer. There is also a difference in how the works are drawn. Degas work seems to have been rushed even though it was staged in his studio. The lack of detail in the surroundings of the woman suggest that he did not have enough time to complete any patterns that may have been found on the fabrics, wood gain on the cupboards or the creation of depth. All his attention is focused on the woman leaning on a chair for stability. These details reference back to the idea that we are looking at something we shouldn’t, all our attention is on this forbidden thing. Another aspect of Cassatt’s work that suggested this subject was staged is that both figures have their heads down. They are relaxed and in a position of restful action instead of private action, as such Cassatt was able to convey a scene which was made for the viewer.
Both artists gave up family life to dedicate their lives as working artists. Although Cassatt’s woman-ness was seen as a downfall at the time, in hind sight it may be the reason way her figurative works are treated with a “neutrality, or disinterestedness” (Higonnet, 1999). She didn’t want her paintings to be seen as womanly and put down for being so. She had to disconnect from her subject matter where her male counter parts did not. She treated her female subjects with respect and consideration. Degas chose to pose his nudes in this fashion to contrast those seen in works of the masters in museums like the Louvre. However what he may not have taken into consideration is the discreet and intimate space he’s placed the figure and the intimate actions that she’s preforming. Perhaps if there was more care given to the scene it wouldn’t seem as though we are looking at a secret action quickly and that’s why the details are unclear and our view is only on what is desired. Mary Cassatt was able to take time and fully develop her painting and create a narrative within the work, which is why we are more at ease when looking at this composition.
References
Edgar Degas. (2017). Biography. Retrieved from: https://www.edgar-degas.org/biography.html
Higonnet, A. (1999, June). Mary Cassatt, Painter of Modern Women. The Women’s Review of Books. 16(9). 1. Retrieved from: https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.eztest.ocls.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=0abc2dc8-061f-49aa-afe4-e3e15f31b8e3%40sdc-v-sessmgr01
Hollinger, K. (2012). Feminist Film Studies. Abingdon, Oxon, England. Routledge. Retrieved from: https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.eztest.ocls.ca/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/ZTAwMHhuYV9fNDc5ODQ0X19BTg2?sid=431667d0-6ed1-4a5c-a206-d13ac51f7b7c@sdc-v-sessmgr02&vid=3&hid=http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/&format=EB
Munson, S.C. (1999, September). Mary Cassatt, Modern Painter. Commentary. 108(2). 3. Retrieved from: https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.eztest.ocls.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=118fcfda-b166-45ad-9212-a3b3e233911b%40sessionmgr4007
Seventh Art Productions (Producer). (1998). Degas: The Impressionists, with Tim Marlow [Streaming Video]. Retrieved from Films on Demand.