Dancers in Blue 1895

Edgar Degas made this image of dancers, probably in the 1890s, using pastel on paper. Pastel is an interesting material – essentially pure pigment, bound into sticks using just enough gum or resin to hold together. Degas explored its full potential. See how the colors seem to shimmer on the surface? That’s because the pastel hasn’t been dissolved in a liquid medium, like oil or watercolor. Instead, it retains its powdery, granular quality. Consider the many hours of practice that went into the dancers' effortless grace. Compare that to the labor of the artist, carefully building up the image with layer upon layer of hatched pastel strokes. In both cases, there's a real investment of time and effort. The image feels so modern, yet the medium is ancient. By embracing pastel, Degas defied the traditional hierarchy of art materials, which valued painting over drawing, oil over pastel. And so he found a perfect parallel for his subject matter: the ballet, a rigorously formalized dance that constantly renews itself.