Dancers 1878

Edgar Degas made this pastel drawing, Dancers, using a medium that sits between painting and drawing. Pastels, made of powdered pigment, produce an effect that's quite different from oil paint. Notice the feathery, soft quality of the dancers’ tutus. This isn’t just down to Degas’s skill; the material itself has that inherent delicacy. You can almost feel the lightness of the fabric. Beyond the aesthetic effect, Degas’s choice of pastel has a social significance too. It was a favorite medium of amateur artists, often women of the upper classes. By using pastel, Degas subtly links the world of professional ballet with the leisure activities of the bourgeoisie. It's a clever move that blurs the lines between high art and popular culture. This piece invites us to think about the labor and class dynamics that were always part of the ballet world that Degas portrayed.