Dancers in a Studio 1884

Edgar Degas made this image of dancers with pastels, a medium that allowed him to capture fleeting moments with remarkable speed. The magic of pastel lies in its directness. It's pure pigment, bound into sticks, applied straight to the surface. Look closely and you can see the individual strokes. The dancers’ tutus seem to shimmer and float due to the layered application of color. Pastel is not just about color, it’s about touch. Degas used it to build up texture, conveying the weight of the dancers’ bodies, the softness of their costumes, and the atmosphere of the studio. The physical demands on the artist are considerable, blending colors with fingers, working against the clock, and building up a rich, velvety surface. Degas had to be both quick and deliberate, disciplined and sensitive. This combination of materials and the artist’s skill, raises interesting questions about the traditional hierarchies of art. Here, the distinction between the so-called fine arts and more tactile crafts blurs.