Self-Portrait 

Jean-Baptiste Greuze painted this self-portrait using pastels, a medium that allows for soft, luminous effects. Pastels consist of pure powdered pigment, bound with just enough medium to hold them together. Their dry, chalky texture is perfect for capturing the subtle gradations of light and shadow on Greuze's face. The artist builds up layers of color with gentle strokes, creating a sense of depth and volume. Look closely, and you can see the delicate blending of hues in his skin tones, and the way he uses light to define the contours of his features. The choice of pastels speaks to the artist's interest in immediacy and intimacy. Unlike oil paint, which requires time to dry and can be reworked over many layers, pastels offer a direct connection between the artist's hand and the surface of the paper. By focusing on the materiality and process of this self-portrait, we can appreciate the artist's skill and sensitivity in capturing his own likeness. We can also reflect on the ways in which the medium of pastels contributes to the work's overall effect.