An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
After the Bath1901
Mary Cassatt
Mary Cassatt began using pastel in the 1870s and continued to experiment with the medium throughout her career. This drawing depicts a mother and child, one of the artist's preferred subjects. Cassatt typically used the technique seen here, in which she finished her sitters' faces with a high degree of detail but rendered the rest of the composition in a much looser and sketchier style.
Mary Cassatt once commented that pastel was "the most satisfactory medium for [portraying] children," since they could not sit still for long and the medium allowed for rapid sketching.
pastel
Sheet: 66 x 100 cm (26 x 39 3/8 in.)
Gift of J. H. Wade
In the calm embrace of the 1870s, a soft breeze seemed to whisper through the studios of art, inviting innovation and creativity. Among the many artists exploring new horizons was Mary Cassatt, whose gentle touch with pastel breathed life into her subjects.
With each stroke, she unveiled moments so intimate, they felt like a quiet conversation between a mother and child. This particular drawing, a tender portrayal of that bond, captures the essence of Cassatt’s artistry. The mother’s watchful gaze dances with love, while the child’s innocent features reflect a world untouched by time.
Cassatt had a unique approach – a delicate juxtaposition of high detail and dreamy looseness. The faces of her subjects are inviting, precise in their expressions, while the surroundings fade gently into a soft haze, as if to hold the viewer in a moment of serene contemplation.
Each pastel dusted onto the paper carried whispers of the affection that flowed in her life, and through her art, she invited us to partake in the depth of human connection. Mary Cassatt didn’t just illustrate a scene; she painted the very essence of motherhood, capturing that peaceful moment of stillness that wraps around all who behold it.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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