The Art of Pastel: Innovations of Form and Method
A close look at the materials and methods of pastel.
October 9, 2021 – February 13, 2022
October 9, 2021 – February 13, 2022
Color into Line: Pastels from the Renaissance to the Present
Color into Line presents a powerful selection of masterpiece drawings done with pastel, one of the most versatile and adaptable media in art history. Spanning from the Renaissance to most recent artistic experimentations—from Rosalba Carriera to Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas to John Altoon and Wayne Thiebaud—the narrative highlights technical aspects with an emphasis on the design process behind the works. Drawn mostly from the Fine Arts Museums’ own holdings in the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, the Museums’ department of works on paper, the exhibition celebrates the artistry of pastel through the richness of the Bay Area art collections with selected loans from local private collections and public institutions.
Image: Odilon Redon, "Orpheus," ca. 1905. Signed in red ‘ODILON REDON’ and in graphite ‘ODILON R.’ (lower right). Pastel on gray laid paper, laid down on canvas, 23 7/16 x 18 7/16 in. (59.5 x 46.8 cm). Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Bequest of Frederick J. Hellman, 1965.29
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Sponsors
This exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Presenting Sponsors
Diane B. Wilsey
John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn
Lead Sponsors
Barbara A. Wolfe
Generous Support
Marie and George Hecksher
The Tavolozza Foundation
Additional support is provided by Mrs. George Hopper Fitch, Maurice W. Gregg, and Shelagh and Thomas P. Rohlen.