Deux Danseuses 

Edgar Degas made this drawing of two dancers with charcoal on paper. Look closely, and you’ll notice that Degas hasn’t blended or fussed with the charcoal to create smooth shading, but instead allows the marks themselves to describe the scene. The paper is a humble, mass-produced material, and charcoal is, well, burnt wood. It is a quick and immediate medium, and here Degas has used it to fix his impressions of the dancers’ poses. The quickness of drawing allowed Degas to capture the immediacy and unglamorous behind-the-scenes reality of the ballet. The dancers are not poised on stage, but relaxing, stretching, and perhaps waiting for their turn to perform. The medium is the message here: the low materials and rapid execution of this drawing perfectly align with the humble subject matter. So, next time you are in front of a work of art, consider the material and making process. It’s not just about what is depicted, but how it's made. It can tell you a lot.