Woman Seated in an Armchair, Wiping Her Left Armpit

Mediums: plasticine, pigmented wax, metal fittings, cork, wood.
Location: The National Gallery of Art in Washington (the USA).

In the last decade of the 19th century, Degas created several figures of women sitting in an armchair and performing some action (four original figurines with similar composition are in the Washington Gallery). Greater stability is inherent in these sculptures; a deep armchair is made of conventionally flat masses of plasticine. However, at the same time, the master remained true to his main hobby – he sought to convey the expressive movements of the model. In this sculpture, the character’s body is in an energetic turn, and one of her hands is raised.