DEGAS Edgar (Paris 1834 † 1917) - "Les blanchisseuses, dit aussi La repasseuse". c.1879. Original etching and aquatint. Very rare and beautiful proof on cream laid paper, from the 3rd state (with the two aquatint spots, the large bowl is erased). Reference: Reed & Shapiro, n°48. Delteil, n°37. Adhémar, n°32. Provenance (unmarked): J.F. Raffaëlli. 21.6 x 30.1 cm. In the 1800s, many artists began to depict the lives of people who worked with their hands for a living. In this composition, Edgar Degas depicts women working and resting in a melancholy space. Although the subject matter is unique in Degas' printed work, the "Laundry Women" strongly relates to other prints of this period in his intentional exploration of space and in the use of experimental techniques with pictorial effects. For this subject, Degas worked on copper through four successive states, this rare impression comes from the third. State A (Some old restorations including a gap filled in the lower margin and small pitting).