Degas...La Coiffure...The unanswered question!

[Merlin]

Okay, we've all seen this painting by Degas (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cache/thumb-a70014d3992002747cc4ac61ee2c561e.jpg)...it's big....it's red....it's got hair...

However, in all the stuff I've read there seems to be one question which is rather nagging me, and which seems unanswered.....

How practical is it?

You can find out when he painted it, ideas about public/private space, this hints of S&M, the colour palatte, the composition, etc But nowhere does anybody ask the question...can you comb hair like that? The subject has a lot of hair, it's pretty thick hair. Can you actually comb hair that long and thick the way the woman with the comb is doing? The woman with the hair seems to have her hand quite loosely on her head rather than taking the tension of her scalp to me. So, those of you with hair like that, who have had it combed out by somebody else and/or those who've done the combing on hair like this.

Has Degas got it right?

[Seeshami]

Yes and I know because when my Mom did my colorguard buns in high school the process looked very much like that only generally I sat on the floor and my hair was bra strap before my big chop.

Edit: i might be able to con her into trying it with his royal highness as he is now. However the fine toothed comb was more for making it look nice on the outside not actually detangling

[Merlin]

Edit: i might be able to con her into trying it with his royal highness as he is now. However the fine toothed comb was more for making it look nice on the outside not actually detangling

neenaw! neenaw! neenaw! - Impressionist Hairdressing Recreation thread imminent! -neenaw! neenaw! neenaw! - Impressionist Hairdressing Recreation thread imminent!

[Majorane]

I agree, we want to see a recreation of that painting now, completely with you in the swoon position and AspenSong with a cute ribbony ...uh, whatsitcalled... Ah! Apron! I'd ask my Italian to don an apron and we'd recreate it ourselves, but my hair isn't that long and neither is his.....

[skyblue]

I'm not sure I see a swoon, looks rather painful to me, the hand on the head says woes me lol and her hands look like they are on their way to clenching

[rusika1]

The hairdresser doesn't look as if she's gently smoothing surface hair--she seems to be really getting in there with the comb. Probably not outright painful, but I suspect uncomfortable. (Not sure you'd keep a maid who deliberately inflicted pain on you every day.) I agree with Seeshami, this is the prelude to a bun that will sit high on the crown of the head.

[Seeshami]

It's bun travel up the back of the head position. Using a fine toothed comb in thick hair even to smooth is not a fun party

[Islandgrrl]

All I can say is what my mother used to tell me when she was "gently" detangling my hair when I was a kid: "It's painful to be beautiful."

[Majorane]

All I can say is what my mother used to tell me when she was "gently" detangling my hair when I was a kid: "It's painful to be beautiful."

When I hurt, I eat chocolate and I'm still awesome. Your mom was wrong. :p

[Anje]

Looking at the stylist's hand position, I wonder if she's combing the hair or backcombing it. Looks more like a pushing motion than a pulling one.

[Stiria]

It looks uncomfortable, thats for sure. Her hands and eyes (well, the one eye we can see) makes it look like she wants it to stop.

And Majorane, you are a smart woman. A smart woman indeed. Chocolate is the answer to everything. If only more people realised that, the world would be a better place. :chocolate:

[Majorane]

I think chocolate should be subsidized, everyone getting a monthly supply of choco stamps and I'll bet there's a decrease in crimes straight away. Dutch kiddies are amongst the happiest on the planet, and they also eat chocolate sprinkles on their bread almost every day! Coincidence? I think not. I am glad you agree with me, Stiria.

/derail

[Stiria]

Of course it is not a coincidence. No sane person would think it is a coincidence. Monthly supply of choco stamps... I like that idea. I would eat all the chocolate right away of course. It's not like I have any willpower to speak of.

[Majorane]

Me neither, but we'd have a very happy few days while bingeing on our monthly supply at least, right? And the afterglow stays for a while, so that means almost a fornight of increased endorphins because of the chocostamps. Win for everyone, because happy citizens are productive citizens and we'd cost the state less in sick days. ...unless we over eat.

[Stiria]

Very, very happy days! I am drooling a bit just thinking about it. You make some very good points. I don't think I ever heard a politician suggest subsidized chocolate. Wonder why? All the benefits! Increased happiness, lower crime rates, fewer sick days. And imagine how popular that politician would be with the voters!

[Majorane]

That politician could rule the world, with a cup of cocoa in her left hand and a bonbon in her right. ....maybe we should start a political party....

[Stiria]

I think we should. We are in different countries though... But if we are going for world dominion that doesn't matter.

[Majorane]

We start with the northern parts of Europe, then we conquer the Belgiums (we really do need them, they make such nice bonbons) and world domination is next!!! Even just all of Europe.... We could be the Presidential Duo, with matching outfits AND matching hairsticks. With the budget cuts for the army, we can give ourselves a nice big raise.

[Seeshami]

That's the best way. Get a chocolatian in office in all the branches of all governments and suddenly we have world control and no one will know it till it's to late.

Mom says she doesn't understand why she has to do a ballet bun in my hair if my normal buns look just as nice.
Looks like some one else *coughaspencoughsongcough* has to do it. She might just chop it off and kill me though.

[Stiria]

I like you strategies! Yes, we definitely need Belgium. Nice bonbons. At first I read it as bourbon. I wouldn't mind some of that either, but I think Baileys would be more appropriate. Ireland next?

Oh, and definitely matching hairsticks! The budget cuts should allow us a nice big raise, that is true. Just think about it... With the people stuffed full of chocolate, peace and happiness will come to all. The crime rate will decline. Do we really need a police force? Perhaps just a small one... And don't forget the fewer sick days. With all the money saved, we could buy ALL THE HAIRTOYS!!!

And Seeshami, don't you worry. If Aspensong chops of your hair, then no chocolate for her! Surely, with the threat of such a punishment, she wouldn't dare to even think about it.

[meteor]

Looking at the stylist's hand position, I wonder if she's combing the hair or backcombing it. Looks more like a pushing motion than a pulling one.

That was my immediate thought, too! :)
And since Edgar Degas painted this around 1896, it would make sense that they needed quite a lot of backcombing (and hair-rats) to create those characteristic voluminous poofs that the 1890s hairstyles (https://www.pinterest.com/kimssmyers/theater-1890s-hair-make-up/) had.


As for the delicious chocolate discussion, I concur: taking over the world for chocolate and subsidizing chocolate for universal happiness sounds like quite a reasonable plan. :lol:
Not to mention how awesome chocolate is for hair: just google "chocolate for hair" or "chocolate hair benefits"! :lol:

[Merlin]

.... then we conquer the Belgiums ....

So long as you preserve the Old Tom restaurant in Ypres, home of the most amazing chips in the universe which are almost as satisfying as chocolate

[rusika1]

Excellent derail! I think possibly Degas left the chocolate out of the painting because it clashed; notice how the subject is holding her left hand? Almost as if she were holding a small bit of chocolate in her hand, ready to place it in her mouth. Seeshami, we'll need two reenactments, one with, and one without, high quality European chocolate. You know, for Science.

Also, yum to the really good chips.

[CrazyGrace]

That looks like my childhood. Maybe I'll try to get my mom to help me recreate it too. I'll also do it with and without chocolate because Science. We even have a fairly red wall for the backdrop.

We need a petition for subsidized chocolate. Do any of you have skills in writing legal-ese?

[chen bao jun]

Yes, my mom used to do this to me with the difference that she would clamp me between her knees first. Degas didn't paint the part where the comb broke and left out the sound effects of tortured screaming.

She asked to comb my hair again two years ago and still started from the top...I suspect my face looked much like in this painting

[veryhairyfairy]

:lol:
It reminds me of my childhood! Oh the agony of a fine tooth comb being pulled through from the top down! (And the irony of being told by said fine tooth comb ripper to comb from the bottom up when I got old enough to comb it myself) I remember singing this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYgOlqinH7A) while she combed and hoping she'd get the message lol.

Also, why aren't we all starting and joining the Chocolate Party right now?!?!