The Lamp

1890-1891

Mary Cassatt

Associated Names
Mary Cassatt

Artist, American, 1844 - 1926

The image shows a young woman seated from the waist up. She has brown hair, soft facial features, and wears a light blue dress. A fabric fan is near her elbow. The background features a blue lamp with a pink shade on a table, along with a teacup and milk jug. The setting is a vibrant, pastel-colored room with decorative walls.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    color drypoint, softground etching, and aquatint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Chester Dale Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 32.4 x 25.2 cm (12 3/4 x 9 15/16 in.)
    sheet: 41.6 x 31.1 cm (16 3/8 x 12 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1963.10.249

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Mathews and Shapiro 1989, no. 6, iv/iv

More About this Artwork

The image depicts a seated woman wearing a large coat and skirt. She is seated with her body angled to the side, head turned slightly towards the viewer. The woman has delicate facial features, with her hair covered by a fluffy hat. Her hands are resting in her lap as she sits on a wide chair. She is not wearing any visible jewelry or holding any objects. The background features simple vertical lines resembling a plain interior wall, creating a minimalist setting.

Interactive Article:  Mary Cassatt, the Daring Printmaker

The pioneering American impressionist was one of the most innovative printmakers of her generation.

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1936

  • Mary Cassatt, Baltimore Museum of Art, MD, 1936, no. 39.

1965

  • Graphic Arts from the Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1965.

1967

  • Miss Mary Cassatt: The Paintings and the Graphic Arts, Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY, 1967.

1998

  • Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman, The Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1998-1999, no. 57 (shown only in Washington).

Bibliography

1979

  • Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme. Mary Cassatt: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Graphic Work. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979, no. 144, iii/iii.

1989

  • Mathews, Nancy Mowll, and Barbara Stern Shapiro. Mary Cassatt: The Color Prints. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1989, no. 6, iv/iv.

1998

  • Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman. Exh. cat. The Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1998-1999: 83, no. 57.

2009

  • Munroe, Alexandra. The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860-1989. Exh. cat. New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 2009, fig. 19.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: Imprimée par l'artiste et M. Leroy

Watermarks

MBM

Wikidata ID

Q65511205

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