Study of the captive virtues, for ‘The Castle of the Maidens’ 1989

Edwin Austin Abbey made this study for ‘The Castle of the Maidens’ using chalk or pastel on paper. Look at the tentative lines. You can see where he’s tried and tested different positions of the figures. I can imagine Abbey thinking through the composition, layering strokes of delicate color to give form to these captive women, their ethereal veils almost lifting them off the ground. The pinks, yellows, and oranges create a mood, a story. Each mark is full of information, feeling, intention. I wonder, did he think of Degas when he made this? The use of pastel allows for softness, a certain looseness, unlike the rigidity of oil paint. It feels gentle, like the artist’s hand barely touched the surface, and yet the image is powerful. It is the kind of study that invites us into the intimate moments of his creative process, and in that way we are all connected.