About Pastels

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Ball invitation

Evgeny Schwartz "Cinderella"

This story is about Pastels: rare and amazing artistic technique, which is often called "the stepdaughter of graphics and painting." They are called ignorant people (although, unfortunately, there are journalists and even art critics among them). But artists who work with pastels are more likely to say that she is a beloved child who inherited their best qualities from her eminent parents.

The emergence of the pastel technique is attributed to the second half of the 15th century. Who owns the invention of this kind of painting is unknown, but one of the rarest early sheets using pastels belongs to Leonardo da Vinci. The Brockhaus-Efron dictionary mentions that the Louvre gallery contains a pastel portrait of an old nun, painted by the artist Dumoutier (father) in 1615.

The history of pastel as a self-sufficient material in painting has about 300 years … At the beginning of the 16th century, it took a firm place in the practice of painters and draftsmen. After Leonardo, almost all the great artists in one way or another paid tribute to her (in fact, sanguine, sepia, sauce - the same pastel). Although, who knows - perhaps a primitive artist who depicted a deer on the wall of a cave is also partly akin to a pastelist. After all, pastel is the same mineral pigment that is the fundamental principle of all known natural paints. Just for convenience, it is bonded with glue and molded. The ancient Chinese treatise "A Word about Painting from a Garden with a Mustard Seed", created over several centuries, reveals to us the secrets of making the best paints: white, garnet - red, pearl - light gray paste. There are 5 - 7 primary colors, and it is impossible to count all the changes in these colors."

So, pastels are not subject to the decay of time … It does not fade in the sun, does not darken or crack, and is not afraid of temperature changes. Perhaps her only drawback is that she does not tolerate touching (on canvas or paper, she does not "freeze", but continues to live …). Therefore, pastel works require storage under glass - but this is such a small sacrifice when You Love … Besides, in today's museums, under glass, you have to store almost all masterpieces, including those painted in oil. Unfortunately, the environment is becoming more and more toxic and aggressively destructive … The myth of the fragility and fragility of pastel works has long been refuted by the history of painting. Take a closer look at a small painting by the Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Lyotard "The Chocolate Girl." The youthful face and light figure of the girl are full of charm. The cap, dress and tray all shine in golden and pink tones. More than two centuries have passed, and the colors on the original are still fresh and captivating. During this time, oil paintings had to be restored more than once …

Pastel has more than one thousand six hundred and fifty shades. She really is both graphic and very picturesque! The pastels unite line and color: It can be used to draw and write, work with shading, paint stain, dry or wet brush. The peculiarity of pastels is that with a minimum of binder, the coloring mass represents individual particles of pigment, reflected from which light is scattered in different directions, giving the paint layer a special radiance, velvety, specific "pastel" softness.

And yet pastel - painting for the Chosen … for both artists and spectators. Why?

Its magic is hidden and unusual for many; comprehended no longer by the mind, but by the soul. Pastel is intimate and tender - it is not by chance that the phrase “pastel colors” has entered our everyday life … If an artist works carelessly in pastels, all its merits die … Oil paints allow you to repeatedly rewrite, clean off, apply many layers - which, in fact, any person can do; pastel, on the other hand, requires precision, an intuitive "flair" in relation to the chosen color, because after that it is already impossible to change it most often: pure, the same famous The "shimmering" pastel tone is such only in the original application.

At the same time, pastels allow for an amazing way mix and match colors … They never merge completely; always remain in the form of the smallest particles - there is no solvent in pastels. But they do not drown out each other completely. The best pastels I've ever seen are many colorful layers; pure, but translucent "through" … Hence - velvety and depth, which invariably attracts. And this is combined with its amazing glow, ghostly, fabulous … This is the impression of a quiet dawn, when we still do not see the solar disk, but everything around is already filled with magical radiance.

Another little "secret" for the uninitiated …

Working in the pastel technique involves shading the pigment or "driving" it into the base - so that several strokes or spots applied side by side connect and "play" with color without mixing completely. This is best achieved with your fingertips - no other material and tool can be compared with them … Have you ever seen worn-out working brushes in an artist's studio? Now imagine the work of sensitive fingertips on coarse, textured paper or even an abrasive layer, which we almost always use, because it retains the pigment better … And yet - the artist's closeness to his creation, their "touch" gives depth and subtlety to what is happening …

Yes, Pastel demands love for itself, but it returns it …

These works certainly require very good lighting - then the infinity of shades appears, the play of translucent layering … Daylight is best, but diffused, falling tangentially … In different lighting conditions, the picture will make a completely different impression. A new ray or a different angle of view - and you will see new colors and details. It attracts and bewitches … With decent lighting, the pastel comes to life, like a young girl in the spring, having thrown off her heavy winter clothes, warmed by the sun and hope, quietly waiting for the holiday.

Perhaps, not everyone can appreciate the pastel either … She is waiting for her spectator, the Contemplator, who can look deep into it for a long time; go into the picture and travel around it … She will give him warmth, light and peace … Feeling of Flight … Taste for Life and Inspiration …

That is why Cinderella-Pastel is looking for her Prince … After all, there has been a false opinion at all times that she is too fragile and capricious young lady who loves silence, peace and dusk; afraid even of the steps of museum visitors, it still played a role - the role of an evil stepmother who tries to hide the charm of her stepdaughter behind an unsightly dress and ash stains on her cheeks …

And so it happened that for several centuries of its life, Pastel has more than once underwent periods of prosperity and oblivion.

Art critics of the Tretyakov Gallery say that already during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, a pastel portrait appears in Russia. Romantic artists appreciated light free execution, improvisation, sharp, well-captured images, therefore pastel with its intensity of colors, richness of expressive means became the favorite technique of many portrait painters of the first quarter of the 19th century. But in the 60s of the 19th century in Russia, pastel practically disappears from artistic use. In Russian fine arts, critical realism conquered the dominant place. The fragile aristocratic art of pastels of previous eras was replaced by a more democratic monochrome drawing with sauce. It is believed that at the end of the 19th century, the pastel technique is experiencing a rebirth: the subject matter of works is expanding, new creative solutions and individual writing styles appear. I. Levitan was an excellent pastel master. The artist's passion for pastels coincided with his first trip abroad. The "View in the vicinity of Bordighera in Italy", written at that time, permeated with the bright spring sun, saturated with the aroma of flowering trees, amazes with its radiant color. Comparison of pastels with its pictorial version (Levitan often repeated his pictorial sketches in pastels) suggests that the artist succeeded much better in the complex color solution of the composition precisely in the pastel technique.

The turn of the 19th – 20th centuries is an era of intense artistic experimentation. The pastel technique, combining pictorial and graphic possibilities: lightness and fluency of drawing with a rich color, not only not inferior, and sometimes exceeding the possibilities of oil painting, is becoming a favorite technique in the portrait genre. Alas, with all the splendor of both the ceremonial and the chamber pastel portrait of that time, in other genres, pastel was not used so often.

The subtlety and grace of the pastel technique, combined with the unusual sonority of colors and the richness of texture, attracted the most talented and eminent masters at all times. In Russia, these are A. Venetsianov, O. Kiprensky, I. Kramskoy, K. Makovsky, V. Serov, L. Bakst, B. Kustodiev, V. Borisov-Musatov, M. Vrubel, Z. Serebryakova, N. Roerich, K. Yuon, M. Čiurlionis. Abroad - Eugene Delacroix, Odilon Redon, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas …

And yet these were only individual works in which the unique advantages of pastels were only partially revealed, far from fully … Pastels were often used for sketches, sketches - and the reason for this was primarily the myth about the fragility of pastels, about which we have already said a lot … The harsh revolutionary times and moods also did not contribute to the development of such a gentle and aristocratic art. "At the ball" oil painting reigned, and the industrious charming Cinderella-Pastel at that time performed her graceful dance in a forest clearing, where only birds and clouds could see her …

But everything is changeable in this world … Fortunately, people gifted with subtle perception and excellent artistic taste do not want to deprive themselves of the pleasure of contemplating the quiet radiance of Pastels and its magical charm!.. In addition, new technologies for making pastel paints, tinted papers and abrasives canvases, modern edging of unique graphics prepared the basis for a new heyday and widespread dissemination of pastel art both among artists and among art lovers.

The beginning of the new century became a happy one for Pastel.

The first significant exhibitions of dry pastel art were held by the Yaroslavl regional branch of the Union of Artists of Russia. In 2000, a Russian-Italian exhibition of pastel art was held in Yaroslavl.

The revival of pastel art for the general public, which began thanks to the initiative of the St. Petersburg Union of Artists of Russia, was marked in 2002 by the exhibition "Petersburg Pastel", which presented 440 works by 135 artists using dry and oil pastel techniques. It was the largest exhibition of pastel art in the history of Russian art. In the year of St. Petersburg's anniversary, the project "Petersburg Pastel" becomes a new cultural tradition of the city and Russia. The first in Russia "Pastel Society" appears here - an independent public organization engaged in information, exhibition and advertising activities in the field of pastel painting. The Society is open to artists who professionally work in the pastel technique, as well as to art historians and collectors interested in this type of fine art.

The first exhibition that opened in the municipal art gallery of Kostroma in 2003 was the "Academy of Pastels", which brought together 47 artists from the cities of Ivanovo, Kineshma, Ples, Moscow, Yaroslavl, which were also joined by authors from Kostroma. The exposition consisted of 130 works that give an idea of this unique artistic technique. The large project aimed to create a cultural space common for the whole of Russia, representing in all its diversity the creativity of authors working in the pastel technique.

Following the artists, museums are beginning to "wake up" … The State Tretyakov Gallery, whose collection of graphics from the 18th - early 20th centuries includes about 800 pastels, the first of which were purchased by P. M. Tretyakov, opened the Art of Pastels exhibition in December 2004. presenting on it more than 150 of the most interesting works performed in this technique, reflecting different genres, artistic techniques, changing tastes and trends.

So, Pastel begins its first "appearances" … Still timid, shy, having lost something due to periods of long oblivion; yet underestimated and not shining with all possible beauty …

But they are already talking about her as a beautiful, captivating stranger who conquers the most sophisticated souls!.. Pastel becomes fashionable not only in Europe, but also here in Russia. There is an intriguing opinion of authoritative art critics: in the near future, the birth of new masterpieces should be expected in this painting technique!

An old fairy tale long ago suggested to us a recipe for creating a small miracle: if you have a magic wand-Desire in your hands, then sometimes a pumpkin and a pair of mice are enough … Do you want to become Cinderella's godmother?.. Help her appear at the ball in all her glory, which means enjoy her amazing beauty, invariably impressive to everyone who sees her for the first time?..

Take a closer look: Pastel deserves, at least, to take a special, but worthy place in your personal or corporate collection! And if there is none yet, perhaps pastel creations will lay the foundation for it? after all, they themselves, unfortunately, rarely have this opportunity. Pastel art also needs informational support. These can be publications in various publications, television broadcasts, special resources on the World Wide Web … It is extremely important to support authors and ascetics who strive not only to hold individual exhibitions of pastel painting, but also to organize special galleries for it. After all, such a (albeit small) gallery can be opened even in an ordinary office, and, of course, it will draw people's attention both to the personality of the patron and to his activities. Pastel feels "cozy" and can be adequately presented in a tiny space - but it will illuminate it with itself! The main thing is the circle of people who are able to understand and appreciate the True; those who have always been called "aristocrats of the Spirit" …

Already twelve centuries ago, the Chinese sage Zhang Yan-yuan said:

We understand that in today's reality there are much more ambitious and noble tasks that require not only attention, but also a considerable investment of funds. However, in this world, every flower is a priceless treasure! And if he suddenly disappears, we all become poorer …

… But you just need to remember that one tiny crystal slipper can lead to a happy end to the Fairy Tale … or to a wonderful continuation of Life?..

Alexander and Tatiana Buzlanovs - Moscow pastel painters

Creative workshop "Dewdrop"