Description
Italian Woman, attributed to Edgar Degas, gives a standing figure a clear left-facing profile. A red bodice, white apron and long brown skirt distinguish the costume, while a vessel is held close to her right hip. Dark hair and a head covering balance the colored clothing. A subdued gray ground keeps attention on the woman, her upright posture and the compact arrangement of figure and vessel.
The graphite and watercolor sheet dates to around 1856–57, the period of Degas’s early formal studies in Italy. Local inhabitants and their distinctive clothing offered subjects for many artists working there. In this drawing, line and painted tone provide complementary ways of developing the figure. The woman is considered as a specific visual presence rather than a character in an elaborate story. This concentration gives the modest sheet its quiet interest, allowing costume, posture and the artist’s changing marks to carry the image.
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