Painted in Lautrec's studio on Rue Caulaincourt, this work directly addresses Edgar Degas' series of intimate bathers displayed at the 8th Impressionist Exhibition in 1886. Lautrec departs from Degas' voyeuristic vantage point and academic idealization, recording an unposed moment of personal hygiene. Executed on raw, unprimed cardboard, the porous support absorbed the oil binders, creating a dry, matte, pastel-like paint surface.