With the Wind 

Edward Robert Hughes's "With the Wind" is most likely made with pastels, a medium comprised of pure pigment ground into a binder to form a crayon-like stick. The pastel technique is inherently tactile, allowing the artist to build up layers of color and texture directly onto the paper. Notice how the strokes are soft and airy, yet capture the essence of the subject's windswept hair and delicate facial features. The hazy, ethereal effect of this artwork is achieved by blending pigments on the surface to create a seamless transition between tones. Hughes was part of the Aesthetic movement, which championed "art for art's sake" and the pursuit of beauty above all else. Pastels suited this sensibility, offering a means of capturing fleeting moments of beauty and capturing the sensory experience of light and atmosphere. This kind of artistry requires not only technical skill but also a sensitivity to materials.