Peasant Girls bathing in the Sea at Dusk
- Artist: Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas
- Date: about 1875-76
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "Peasant Girls bathing in the Sea at Dusk" by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. Painted in the Italian north style, this unfinished painting combines elements from Degas's earlier studies of seascapes on the coast of Normandy in 1869.
Look closely and you'll notice how bold and unconventional the composition is. The girls' dark silhouettes cut across the picture surface, their naked bodies invigorated by the waves. Clutching hands like a chain of paper dolls, they move into the sea with a jerky yet choreographic movement, facing the setting sun.
Degas was known for his willingness to experiment and push boundaries, and this painting is no exception. The shifts in scale and broad treatment are characteristic of his most progressive works from the mid-1870s. In fact, it's one of the few paintings that showcases Degas's more daring side.
Unfortunately, the artist never submitted this work to any exhibitions during his lifetime, so we can only imagine what critics would have made of its unconventional appearance and innovative style.
See it in person
Peasant Girls bathing in the Sea at Dusk hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
