c. 1876-1878

The Star

French, 1834 - 1917

While many late-nineteenth-century painters produced both prints and pastels, Degas was unique in combining these two mediums in his monotypes. He created these images by putting ink on a copper plate without scratching the surface, and then transferring the picture to paper by using the pressure of a printing press. Usually there was only enough ink to create one impression. As a final step, Degas frequently added pastel to the printed image.