Women Ironing (Les Repasseuses) is a genre painting created by Edgar Degas in 1884. The painting is part of a series of Degas’s representations of Parisian laundresses, and depicts two women ironing. One is shown leaning heavily on a small flat iron, while the other takes a break. Degas was known for his attention to detail, and his work as an attentive observer of the working class is evident in this painting.
The medium used for Women Ironing is oil and pastel on canvas. The painting was created on an unprepared, coarse canvas, providing a grainy and uneven support. The brown linen visible under the paint gives the painting a rough texture and helps make the pastel effects stand out. The artwork is on display at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and is available as a hand-painted oil on canvas reproduction.
Women Ironing is part of a groundbreaking exhibition exploring Degas’s representations of laundresses. Degas was fascinated with the working class, and this painting serves as an excellent example of his attention to their everyday working life. Overall, Women Ironing is one of Degas’s most iconic pieces, showcasing his mastery of impressionism and his ability to capture a moment in time with intense emotion and detail.
