Waiting

c. 1879

Mary Cassatt

Associated Names
Mary Cassatt

Artist, American, 1844 - 1926

The image shows a woman from the head down to her upper torso. She is seated with her head slightly tilted downward and gazing away from the viewer. Her facial features are softly rendered, and her hair is neatly tucked under a head covering or scarf, which is tied under her chin with a bow. She is wearing a patterned attire that appears to have floral or vine-like designs. Her figure is outlined with a combination of solid and faded lines, which blend into the textured background. The background is a mottled, speckled surface that gives a sense of depth, and on the right, it seems to be a part of a patterned curtain or fabric. There are no visible jewelry or distinct objects being held. The overall composition is suggestive of an introspective scene, rendered in a subtle and impressionistic style.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    aquatint and softground etching

  • Credit Line

    Andrew W. Mellon Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 21.59 × 14.61 cm (8 1/2 × 5 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1976.42.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Breeskin 1979, no. 11, iii/iv


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1977

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

Bibliography

1979

  • Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme. Mary Cassatt: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Graphic Work. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979, no. 11, iii/iv.

Wikidata ID

Q65575002

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