Three Dancers 1901

Edgar Degas made 'Three Dancers' with pastel on paper. Look at these swirling marks, blues and yellows, pinks and greens, coming together. I see a push and pull, a constant shifting that captures the energy of bodies in motion. You know, I can imagine Degas standing there, charcoal in hand, trying to capture the fleeting moment of these dancers. He's working quickly, adding layer upon layer. Look closely, you can see the texture of the pastel on the paper, that physical record of movement. I wonder what he was thinking, what he was trying to convey? Was he thinking about the great masters who came before him, like Poussin? I see echoes of other paintings in Degas' work, a conversation across time. It reminds me that artists are always talking to each other, riffing off one another's ideas, finding new ways to express the world around them. In this unfinished quality there is an openness, so we can bring our own experiences, and maybe find something new.