Hitherto the nude has always been represented in poses which presuppose an audience; but these women of mine are honest, simple folk, unconcerned by any other interests than those involved in their physical condition. Here is another; she is washing her feet. It is as if you looked through a key-hole.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Degas explains that his nude paintings show women in honest, private moments without posing for an audience.
- In plain terms
- My women are not posing for viewers; they are doing ordinary things naturally.
- What can you take from it?
- Authentic art captures private moments, not performances.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a moment authentic?
- How do you observe without intruding?
Another view
Observing private moments can feel intrusive.
More from Edgar Degas
A vous il faut la vie naturelle, a moi la vie factice.
Permalink to quote #5 What a delightful thing is the conversation of specialists! One understands absolutely nothing and it's charming.
Permalink to quote #7 I assure you no art was ever less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of reflection and study of the great masters; of inspiration, spontaneity, tem…
Permalink to quote #4
Related quotes
I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.
Christopher IsherwoodChristopher Isherwood quote #1 There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. ... It's peaceful. Still. Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I like to write. I live to write. But …
J. D. SalingerJ. D. Salinger quote #2 Ephemeral work made outside, for and about a day, lies at the core of my art and its making must be kept private.
Andy GoldsworthyAndy Goldsworthy quote #2