Degas and the LaundressAn exploration of Edgar Degass laundress works and their significance within broader debates art, urban life, and womens work in the nineteenth century Edgar Degass depictions of Parisian laundresses are some of the famed Impressionists most revolutionary works. In paintings, drawings, and prints throughout his long career, Degas emphasized the strenuousness of womens labor and highlighted social class divides in his idiosyncratic avant garde style.