Woman Combing Her Hair

In this pastel, a woman is caught in the intimate act of combing her long, chestnut hair. Her back is mostly to us, her body angled to reveal the curve of her spine and the sweep of her arm as she tends to her waist-length tresses. The scene feels unposed, as if we’ve stumbled upon a private moment in her dressing room. The soft, luminous quality of the pastel medium captures the texture of her hair and the warmth of her skin, making the light feel almost tangible. The muted background allows the figure to command attention, emphasizing the quiet intensity of her focus on the task at hand. This work, made in 1887, exemplifies the Impressionist interest in capturing fleeting, everyday life, often focusing on figures in unguarded domestic settings.