« The pastel has a bloom, a velvety quality, a sort of delicate freedom and a dying grace that neither watercolor nor oil can achieve. » This subtle technique, acclaimed by art critic Huysmans, lends itself equality to intimate portraits, scenes of modern life, landscapes, and dreamlike visions. Signaling the true revival of pastel in the second half of the nineteenth century, works by Millet, Degas, Manet, Redon, and Lévy-Dhurmer bear witness to a golden age. This book presents close to one hundred pastel masterpieces meticulously preserved in the collections of the Musée d'Orsay.