Ploughed Field Bordered by Trees

Museum record 185805: Ploughed Field Bordered by Trees by Edgar Degas. A verified entry point for discovery.

What to notice

For Ploughed Field Bordered by Trees (record 185805), start with modern, expressive, atmospheric. Compare the focal subject, edge treatment, and atmosphere before moving on.

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This work shows how Degas adapted his monotype prints. First, on the printing plate, he manipulated diluted oil paint with cloth pads and coarse bristle brushes. Having transferred these textural effects to the paper, he added pastel over the monotype, lending definition to the leaves and branches of the trees. In November 1892, Degas’s monotype landscapes were the subject of an exhibition at the gallery of Paul Durand-Ruel. One critic heralded it as the “event of the season.” The show included between 2…