Firmin Baes, hailed as a master of the pastel medium, left an impact on the art world with his versatile and distinctive works. While proficient in oil and charcoal, Baes garnered renown for his expansive range of pastel compositions, encompassing portraits, still-lifes, nudes, genre interior scenes, and landscapes. Notably, his pastels, often executed on canvas rather than traditional paper or cardboard, distinguish themselves with a velvety texture reminiscent of Chardin's technique.

Unlike his French contemporaries, including luminaries like Jean-François Millet, Léon Lhermitte, and Edgar Degas, Baes veiled the technical process behind his pastels. His strokes of crayon seamlessly meld into soft, almost blurred areas of color, intricately transforming into the depicted subjects. The hallmark of Baes' pastel works lies in their impeccably finished quality, transcending the medium's typical characteristics and often blurring the line between pastel and painting.

His subjects, whether portraits, still-lifes, or landscapes, bear the unmistakable touch of Baes' artistic vision. The meticulous execution and the painterly quality of his pastels set him apart in the realm of pastel artistry. Firmin Baes' legacy endures not only for his mastery of the medium but also for his ability to elevate pastel works to a level where they rival the sophistication of traditional paintings.