Explore The Convalescent

Read About This painting by Edgar Degas

The Convalescent was painted by Edgar Degas. It shows his interest in the world of women—their physical characteristics and surroundings, and their complex emotional and psychological conditions. Although the identity of the sitter is not known, it is possible that the painting depicts a relative of Edgar Degas and was painted on a trip to visit family in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Degas conveyed the sitter’s character by capturing her sadness. The woman appears weary, leaning against the back of her left hand with her head tilted. Her expression and red-rimmed eyes, together with the limp right arm at her side, suggest a physical or emotional illness, though the cause is unknown. She is covered with a brown robe and full white gown, making it hard to tell whether she is sitting, standing, or leaning. Degas’s thick, unblended brushstrokes and flattened space bring the figure forward, which suggest informality and intimacy.

Unlike traditional nineteenth-century portraits, which were commissioned and usually left the artist’s studio upon completion, this painting remained in Degas’s studio for at least fifteen years.

Questions

Write or discuss your responses.

• What is your first impression of the woman in the painting?

• What story does the woman’s posture tell?

• How does all the space around the figure add to the mood of the character?

• Look closely at the visible brush marks. What areas in the painting that are painted differently from other areas?

• What might be a possible location and function for this painting at the turn of the nineteenth century when it was created? Why would anyone want a portrait of a sick woman?