Degas' portrait of Mlle Dembowska, black crayon on pink paper, 1858-1859, 17.5 x 11.5 inches, is one of the most important works in Robert Flynn Johnson's collection of Degas drawings, on display at Petaluma Arts Center through July 26, 2105.  Flynn Johnson acquired this work in 1978.  Degas used black crayon, a medium he was not very familiar with (he normally used pencil) and the heavy shadowing emphasizing the young woman's face and its positioning vis a vis the angle of the chair, upsets the strict conventions of portraiture.  The catalogue entry associated with this drawing cites 1858 correspondence from Auguste De Gas that suggests the young artist was bored with drawing portraits to satisfy familial obligations. Image: Robert Flynn Johnson, Petaluma Art Center
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