Flora Giffuni, 4 Graces, 24 x 30", pastel.
Pastel is pure pigment,
the same pigment used in making all fine art paints. It is the most permanent
of all media, when applied to conservation ground and properly framed. Pastel
has no liquid binder that may cause other media to darken, fade yellow, crack,
or blister with time. Pastels from the 16th century exist today, as fresh as
the day they were painted. No restoration needed, ever!
Historically, pastel can be traced back to the sixteenth century. Its invention
is attributed to the German painter Johann Thiele. The Venetian artist, Rosalba
Carriera, was among the first to use pastel as her primary medium. Chardin did
portraits with an open stroke, while LaTour preferred the blended finish. Thereafter,
a galaxy of famous artists-Watteau, Copley, Delacroix, Millet, Manet, Renoir,
Toulouse-Lautrec, Vuillard, Bonnard, Glackens, Whistler, Hassam, William Merritt
Chase, just to list the more familiar names-used pastel as finished work rather
than preliminary sketches.
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