Introduction to the Exhibition—The Touch of Color: Pastels at the National Gallery of Art

Kimberly Schenck, head of paper conservation, National Gallery of Art, and Stacey Sell, associate curator of old master drawings, National Gallery of Art Through the centuries, artists have adopted a variety of approaches to pastel, experimenting with it to achieve exciting and unexpected effects. Featuring approximately 70 exquisite examples drawn entirely from the permanent collection, The Touch of Color: Pastels at the National Gallery of Art traces the history of pastel from the Renaissance to the 21st century and examines the many techniques that artists have developed to work with this colorful and versatile medium. To celebrate the opening on September 29, 2019, Kimberly Schenck and Stacey Sell provide an overview of the works, many of which have never been exhibited before. The exhibition is on view at the National Gallery of Art through January 26, 2020.