In The Park 1882

Julius Leblanc Stewart made this pastel drawing, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. He was an American expatriate, living in Paris – part of a whole generation of artists who sought out the city’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. Pastel is an interesting medium. It involves grinding pigment and binding it with just enough gum to hold it together. The artist then applies the dry sticks of color to the page, building up the image through many light strokes. The appeal of pastel lies in the way that it can capture a fleeting impression, a sense of immediacy. You can see that here in the way that Stewart has captured the light filtering through the trees. But that soft effect is also a product of the way these figures are positioned in society. They are idle, at leisure, strolling in the park. The pastel medium is well-suited to evoke this genteel experience, because it doesn’t require a commitment to labor. A quick sketch can capture a whole world.