This painting was created at an important time of Degas’ life. He had recently finished his artistic training and was walking out of a studio submitting paintings to the salons trying to make name for himself. What he was doing largely at this time were history paintings and allegorical paintings and also what was special about this painting itself is that it’s not one of those categories. Bust of an almost Nude Woman was dedicated fully to the female form and that was something that Degas would be pre-occupied with for the rest of his career and it’s also what made him one of the greatest artists of the impressionist movement.