"If I had my life to do over again, I'd do nothing but black and white". Behind Edgar Degas's confidence to Georges Villa in 1906 lies an ancient and profound enthusiasm, contrasting with his famous coloured pastels. One hundred and sixty works, including numerous prints, trial proofs and rare successive states, are presented in the exhibition "Degas in Black and White. Dessins, estampes, photographies" reveals not only his passion for colour, but also his taste for new techniques linked to the world of engraving and photography. In the historic home of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Degas' work stands out, revealing the experiments he carried out, developing new combinations of media. Keen to bring out the unpredictable on paper, he endlessly re-used a recurring motif in his work - women in the bath - to explore variations in poses, lighting and even prints. Blackening his notebooks with future ideas and reflections on motifs and colours, Degas revealed himself to be "an artist who was constantly moving forward", as his friend and accomplice in plastic experiments, Camille Pissarro, put it. In both his printmaking and photography, the variations between blacks and whites reinforce the singularities of his work, known for favouring viewpoints that escape the gaze of the majority, such as brothel lounges or backstage at a dance ballet. A strange atmosphere that blends the fantastic with a sense of solemnity emanates from his photographs, while his portraits are more reminiscent of the tradition that he is trying to renew. A stroll through the Mansart and Pigott galleries is an opportunity to rediscover Degas and his "dark self".

Orlane Bachelet

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