Masters of the Pastel. From Marteau to Witkacy

Masters of the Pastel. From Marteau to Witkacy
The Collection of the National Museum in Warsaw

29 October 2015 – 31 January 2016

Owing to their delicate nature, pastels cannot be frequently displayed or loaned. They are velvety and smooth, matt and yet vibrating with luminous colour. This unique effect is achieved due to the use of a method situated between painting and drawing. The pastel, or dry pigment technique, provided the artist with considerable freedom. The rich and subtle colours are achieved by crayons made from pigments, binder and white filler (chalk or gypsum). The colour layers, loosely connected to the support (paper, parchment or canvas) produce the impression of a light, even fluffy texture. Owing to this composition, they are very sensitive to mechanical damage, especially dusting off.

The exhibition gathers together almost 250 pastels from the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw. This is the first display of works of such magnitude in Poland and a unique opportunity to discover a part of the museum’s collection which is usually not on view.