Degas painted this work for the 1879 exhibition in egg tempera. Unlike oil paint, egg tempera - pigment mixed with egg yolk - dries to a matte appearance. His use of tempera exemplifies Degas' experimental approach to art.
"Degas/Cassatt" runs through October 5:
http://1.usa.gov/1oRL6rS.
Edgar Degas, "Rehearsal in the Studio," c. 1878-1879, egg tempera on canvas, collection of Shelburne Museum, gift of Electra Webb Bostwick, © Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont
