Developed in the mid 1600s, pastels are often considered to be the ‘purest’ form of painting, in which pure pigment is applied to the ground.
pastel
His paintings of markets, including Paris’s famous Les Halles, are superb, as are his pastels.
An Armenian, born in Hungary (then), trained in Germany and France, married in Britain, worked in Poland and the Ukraine. His pastel on watercolour paintings are wonderful.
A mere theme, or an obsession? During his later career, Degas’ pastels of nude women getting out of the bath and drying dominated his art. Why?
These fascinating works are little appreciated. Here are some clues as to their readings, including some links to contemporary novels about the dark side of the ballet – and more.
The evolution of his paintings of ballet dancers, and a look at some themes of his paintings of individual dancers and small groups.
A succinct summary of the biography of Degas, told with the aid of 12 of his key works, from history painting to the late landscapes.
More superb pastel paintings from Vigée Le Brun, Eva Gonzalès, Manet, Helleu, and Odilon Redon bring us to the 20th century.
The early history of pastel, from Robert Nanteuil, through the brilliant portraits of Rosalba Carriera, to Maurice Quentin de La Tour, and the hyperrealism of Liotard.
She mastered drypoint, aquatint, and monotype processes, combining them to produce superb prints – as well as wonderful pastel paintings.
The Eclectic Light Company 