The Fitting

1890-1891

Mary Cassatt

Associated Names
Mary Cassatt

Artist, American, 1844 - 1926

The image shows three women from the waist up. The central woman is facing slightly to the side, with short, dark hair and a calm expression. She wears a long, striped dress with puffy sleeves. Next to her, another woman is seen from the back, looking into a mirror, dressed similarly. Below them, another woman's head is visible, turned away, wearing dark clothing with stripes. The background includes a patterned wallpaper with floral motifs and a decorative carpet.

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: 37.5 x 25.4 cm (14 3/4 x 10 in.)
    sheet: 47.8 x 30.8 cm (18 13/16 x 12 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1963.10.252

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Mathews and Shapiro 1989, no. 9, vii/vii

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. 29.

1965

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

1967

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

1977

  • Prints of Paris: The 1890s, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1977.

1986

  • Graphic Survey Show, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1986-1987.

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. 60, as Young Woman Trying on a Dress (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. 147, vi/vi.

1989

  • Mathews, Nancy Mowll, and Barbara Stern Shapiro. Mary Cassatt: The Color Prints. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1989, no. 9, vii/vii.

1995

  • Costantino, Maria. Mary Cassatt. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1995, p. 63, no. 147.

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. 60.

Inscriptions

recto: below image at right in graphite: Edition de 25 épreuves Imprimée par l'artiste et M. Leroy / Mary Cassatt; at lower left in graphite in later hand: E 955. Set of 10 R3 [3 underlined]; ; verso: at lower left in graphite in later hand: B-22, 320

Markings

recto: none; verso: National Gallery of Art

Watermarks

D & C in cartouche [D & C Blauw]

Wikidata ID

Q65511208

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