Edgar Degas

Degas created this unusually large group portrait while vacationing with friends on France’s Northern coast. The drawing was executed on a single sheet of rough, fibrous paper with a “tooth” (or texture) that held the powdery material of his pastel crayon in place. Using a technique that he developed alongside Mary Cassatt, Degas sketched dense parallel and perpendicular strokes in contrasting warm and cool colors to create a sense of depth. He allowed the brown color of the paper—which has darkened over time—to remain visible, giving the image a striking, warm tone.