Artwork Title: Six Friends at Dieppe

Six Friends at Dieppe, 1885

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. [https://risdmuseum.org/art_design/objects/985_six_friends_at_dieppe] In the late summer of 1885 Edgar Degas (1834-1917) traveled north from Paris to join his friends for a seaside holiday. His destination was Dieppe, a picturesque town on the Normandy coast. While relaxing with the family of writer Ludovic Halévy, he created a large pastel drawing of six male figures. They included Halévy and his young son Daniel; the painters Henri Gervex, Jacques-Émile Blanche, and Walter Sickert; and “a man of taste,” Albert Boulanger-Cavé. ...a remarkable group portrait that represents a unique performance of art and friendship. [https://risdmuseum.org/art_design/exhibitions/163_edgar_degas_six_friends_at_dieppe]
Uploaded on Mar 9, 2018 by Suzan Hamer

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