According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Time Line of Art History: Nineteenth Century American Drawings: alt=View of a woman from behind|thumb|William Merritt Chase, Study of Flesh Color and Gold, 1888, National Gallery of Art, NGA 103252 On the East Coast of the United States, the Society of Painters in Pastel was founded in 1883 by William Merritt Chase, Robert Blum, and others. The Pastellists, led by Leon Dabo, was organized in New York in late 1910 and included among its ranks Everett Shinn and Arthur Bowen Davies. On the American West Coast the influential artist and teacher Pedro Joseph de Lemos, who served as Chief Administrator of the San Francisco Art Institute and Director of the Stanford University Museum and Art Gallery, popularized pastels in regional exhibitions. Beginning in 1919 de Lemos published a series of articles on "painting" with pastels, which included such notable innovations as allowing the intensity of light on the subject to determine the distinct color of laid paper and the use of special optics for making "night sketches" in both urban and rural settings.School Arts Magazine (Worcester, Mass.): 18.7, 1919, pp. 353–356; 19.10, 1920, pp. 596–600; 25.2, 1925, p. 77. His night scenes, which were often called "dreamscapes" in the press, were influenced by French Symbolism, and especially Odilon Redon.
accoRDing To tHe meTRoPOlitaN MUseum oF Art's tIme linE Of Art HistorY: ninetEEnTH cEnTUry AmErican dRawingS: aLt=ViEw Of A woman from bEHiNd|tHUmb|willIAm mErriTt chase, studY Of FlEsh colOr and Gold, 1888, natiONaL gallery of aRt, nGa 103252 On The eAsT COAst Of tHe uniTEd stATEs, thE sociETy of paIntErs in paSteL WaS foundEd in 1883 By WilliAm MErRitt chase, RoBerT blum, and otHERs. the pasTellISts, Led by leon DabO, was organIzEd In new york In late 1910 and incLuDeD amOng its Ranks evErett shiNn and arthur BOwen daVIes. On thE amErican weSt CoAST the InFluentIal ArtiST And tEacHEr pedRo joSePH dE lEmos, WhO served as CHIeF administraToR of ThE san fRanciscO ArT iNstitutE aNd DIrecToR Of The stanForD unIverSitY Museum and Art gaLlery, popularized paSteLs In Regional exHibiTIoNs. bEGinnIng in 1919 De Lemos publisheD A sERiEs oF ArTicleS oN "paIntIng" WitH pASteLs, WhiCh IncluDed SuCh notAbLe inNovATIoNS As AlLowiNg The IntenSitY of liGht On ThE sUbJeCt To DetErmine ThE DistinCt colOr of laiD Paper and the usE of Special OptiCs FoR makIng "niGht SketChes" iN Both uRbAn and rUrAl SeTtiNgs.sCHool ArTs MaGazIne (worcEsTER, masS.): 18.7, 1919, pp. 353–356; 19.10, 1920, Pp. 596–600; 25.2, 1925, p. 77. his NiGHT sCenEs, wHICh wEre often calLeD "DReAmScApEs" in tHE Press, Were influenced bY FreNch symBoLiSm, aNd eSpeciallY odIlOn ReDon.