Add to ORKGDegas applied pastel in so many successive layers that the pigment became burnished and the underlying paper rubbed to such an extent that the fibers were loosened and now project from the surface like many little hairs.Although usually associated with the French Impressionists, Degas\u27 work was more tightly controlled, more painstakingly composed, and more visually immediate than that of other artists of his time. Paintings from his early years aim for an academic, historical style, and are nowhere near as interesting as those that followed his decision not to be a history painter. His portraits are remarkably complex and psychological, powerfully capturing the dynamics between the people pictured.https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/saskia/40...