Allyson Holdahl

Woman in a Bathtub

Newton&#8217;s First Law of Motion states that an object in motion or at rest will stay in motion or at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. Art has the power to do both &#8211; when it stops us in our tracks, we call it awe; when it moves us to action, we call that inspiration.

Taking an unusual approach to the traditional theme of the nude bather, and introducing color into his original wax sculpture (through tinted waxes, a lead ring for the tub’s rim, and plaster-soaked cloth puddled at the tub’s edge), Degas achieved a work of daring modernity. Much of The Tub’s impact, as well as its charm, derives from Degas’s clever way of making a full view possible only from directly overhead. Yet the arrangement of the bather’s arms and legs, combined with her self-absorption as she performs her ablutions, results in a carefree innocence that foils the most prurient gaze.

Allyson Holdahl
Woman in a Bathtub, Graphite

Inspired by:

Woman in a Bathtub, 19th-20th century — Artist: Edgar Degas — Bronze

What does inspiration mean to you?

Allyson Holdahl Woman in a Bathtub, Graphite

Inspired by:

Woman in a Bathtub, 19th-20th century — Artist: Edgar Degas — Bronze

What does inspiration mean to you?

Allyson Holdahl
Woman in a Bathtub, Graphite