Leaving the Bath

Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917) · 1879–80

Edgar Degas created this print by drawing on a copper plate, not with a traditional etching needle, but with a copper rod—a component of early electric lamps. This nontraditional tool produced an effect that Degas appreciated, and he experimented further after bringing the plate home by working on it with materials ranging from an emery pencil to a stone.