Dancer with Bouquets 1895

Edgar Degas made this painting, *Dancer with Bouquets*, with pastels on paper. Pastels are an interesting material. Think of them as the crayons of the fine art world. It is essentially pure pigment, the same as used in oil paints, but instead of being bound in linseed oil, it is bound with just enough gum or resin to hold it together. This gives a soft, velvety texture that you can see especially well in the dancer’s voluminous tutu. Consider the labor involved in the dancer’s profession and how it relates to the labor of the artist himself. Degas made many artworks of dancers, capturing them from unconventional angles and in unguarded moments. He made many preparatory sketches of the movements of dance. In a way, he subjects the dancers to the same scrutiny he applied to his own art-making. This piece invites us to consider the value of skilled work, whether on stage or in the studio. The intense focus on the materiality and the making of art helps us see its wider cultural significance, beyond conventional definitions.