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CASSATT, Mary

Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, 1844 - Mesnil-Théribus, France, 1926

Fillette
Little girl

Inv. n°5487

vers 1893

H: 0, 627 m.; W: 0, 460 m.

Paris, Fondation Custodia

Signed lower right: Mary Cassatt

Works on paper

From 1865 to 1900

Historical

Former collection of Albert Pra. Sold after his death, via Knoedler & Co., Paris, June 17, 1938 (p. 7, n° 1).
Acquired by Fritz Lugt, July 5, 1938.

Comment

"Dated by Adeline Breeskin to the beginning of 1893, this pastel by Mary Cassatt is representative of the artist's works and her interest in the figures of children. Her works frequently represent aspects of maternity, the relations between women and children, and their environments, as here. She was close to Edgar Degas (1834-1917) and admired his technique, particularly in pastel, but had to struggle to establish her own artistic identity. An American from Pennsylvania, she came to Paris as a young woman in 1866 to study painting. She was soon exhibiting her works at the Salon, but she chose to keep a low public profile and did not exhibited her works frequently. Her ties with the Impressionists but also with the United States and great American collectors like the Havemeyers made her one a key figure in the propagation of the French Impressionist style. Her engravings, very influenced by japonisme, are particularly admired for their naturalism." (Source: Olivier Meslay, Cat. exp. Aquarelles et dessins anglais: une promenade, Oeuvres choisies collection Fritz Lugt, Exposition dossier, Paris, Fondation Custodia, 2001, n°8, p.24-25).

Bibliography

Dohme Breeskin, 1970, n°222, repr.;

Olivier Meslay, Cat. exp. Aquarelles et dessins anglais: une promenade, Oeuvres choisies collection Fritz Lugt, Exposition dossier, Paris, Fondation Custodia, 2001, n°8, p.24-25.