Olive Trees against a Mountainous Background 1893

"Olive Trees against a Mountainous Background" is a pastel drawing by Edgar Degas, created in 1893. It showcases Degas’s departure from his typical subjects of dancers and horses, revealing his fascination with landscapes. The muted palette and gestural brushstrokes capture the quiet beauty of a rural scene, with a focus on the delicate lines and subtle color variations of the olive trees against the vast backdrop of mountains and a distant village. This artwork is housed at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, and offers a glimpse into the diverse range of Degas's artistic explorations.