Woman in a Ruffled Cap (Dame agée) 1859 - 1860

Editor: So, this is Edgar Degas' "Woman in a Ruffled Cap (Dame âgée)," created around 1859-1860, using graphite, ink, and etching techniques. I'm struck by the intense gaze of the woman and how Degas captured it with such minimal lines. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the surface, I see a statement on aging and representation. In 19th-century art, older women were often relegated to the background or portrayed through stereotypical lenses. But here, Degas offers us an intimate, unvarnished portrayal. Notice how the etching allows for a depth of shadow that accentuates the lines on her face. Editor: It’s interesting that you point that out. I wouldn’t have thought of it, but there’s something quite direct and almost challenging in her gaze. How do you think this relates to other portrayals of women in art during that time? Curator: Many portraits of women were heavily idealized, intended for a male gaze within a patriarchal framework. By depicting this woman with such frankness, Degas subtly challenges that tradition. He invites the viewer to consider the lives and experiences of women beyond youthful beauty. Who was she? What stories could she tell? The medium of etching itself allows for a raw honesty, unlike the polished surfaces of academic painting. Editor: So, by focusing on her age, Degas is pushing back against the norms of the time? Curator: Precisely. And it invites us to reflect on how societal beauty standards continue to marginalize and erase older women. This piece becomes an act of visibility, of resistance against those erasures. It asks us to actively re-see and re-value aging and female experience. Editor: That’s a powerful perspective! I'm definitely seeing this artwork in a completely new light. It’s much more subversive than I initially realized. Curator: Art has the potential to be so much more than just aesthetics; it’s a conversation across time, engaging with socio-political realities. Hopefully we both have expanded on each other’s viewing lens.