The Cincinnati Art Museum presents Degas, Renoir, and Poetic Pastels, an exhibition featuring a selection of the most famous pastel drawings in the world. The works are drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and include landscapes by Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas’ ballet dancers, and portraits by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Pastel, which is derived from the Latin word pasta, or “paste,” has been a popular medium for artists since the 15th century. Degas, Renoir, and their contemporaries enjoyed the medium because it didn’t need time to dry and boasted rich, saturated hues. The works on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum, which are from the second half of the 19th century, are rarely on view due to their sensitivity to light.
Degas, Renoir, and Poetic Pastels will be on view through January 19, 2014.
