Portrait of a Woman 1873

Edgar Degas made this *Portrait of a Woman* using charcoal and pastel on paper. It's a fairly common combination of materials, but it offers a lot of expressive potential. Notice how the charcoal defines the woman's form and the shadows around her. Degas applied it with energetic strokes, building up a sense of volume and texture. Then, he added touches of pastel to bring the portrait to life, especially on her face, where the subtle blush gives her a delicate, almost ethereal quality. You can see the marks of the artist's hand everywhere. This directness gives the piece a feeling of intimacy, as if we're witnessing the artist's creative process. But it also raises questions. How much labor, how much time, has been invested in creating this image? Is it a quick sketch or a more considered study? It is only by considering these factors that we come to a fuller understanding of the artwork.