Impressionism is famous for capturing the mood of scenes, and the nuances of everyday life, so it’s no surprise that many impressionist artists were inspired by the most ordinary, but intimate moments of life: the act of getting dressed. The most famous Impressionist painting depicting underwear doesn’t show quite such an ordinary scene.  Manet’s Nana looks sweet enough, but subtle clues in the painting reveal her identity as a courtesan. I love how you see the rounded stomach, and the flesh of her thighs bumping up below the corset.  It’s so realistic, despite the glamour of the setting. I wonder if ‘Before the Mirror’ shows the same model, and the same corset, as Nana?  It’s certainly a possibility. I love how this one echoes the garter tying in Boucher’s La Toilette   De Witte’s painting does a good job of showing an underbust corset, and the way the bust sits above it. Degas work is a great illustration of how you put on a corset.  The model must have had someone to help her with …