Art prints of paintings
Mary Cassatt

Discover the art prints and print reproductions of Mary Cassatt (1844–1926), an American artist who settled in France and a member of the Impressionist group. Portraits, theatre boxes, reading scenes, gardens, children, everyday care and experiments inspired by Japanese printmaking make up an inventive body of work. This selection offers an opportunity to explore her modern framing, her attention to gesture and her experimentation with painting, pastel, drypoint, etching and aquatint.

Mary Cassatt, an American artist in Paris

Born in Pennsylvania in 1844, Cassatt trained as an artist in the United States before travelling and studying in Europe. She settled in Paris in 1874. The National Museum of Women in the Arts notes that her first painting accepted by the Paris Salon was exhibited as early as 1868, before she took part in the Impressionist exhibitions.

Self-Portrait presents the artist by her own hand. Alexander J. Cassatt and M. Robert S. Cassatt on Horseback recall the importance of her American family, which regularly featured in both her work and her life between the United States and France.

Italy, Spain and European training

Before settling in France, Cassatt worked notably in Italy and Spain. These stays enabled her to study the Old Masters and build a career at a time when women’s access to academic training remained limited. Her early Spanish subjects differ from the Parisian scenes she would later develop.

Spanish Dancer Wearing a Lace Mantilla, After the Bullfight and Offering the Panal to the Toreador combine costume, spectacle and observation of the figure. Roman Girl belongs to another aspect of this European experience.

Cassatt and the Impressionist exhibitions

Edgar Degas noticed Cassatt’s work and invited her in 1877 to join the independent artists later known as the Impressionists. The Metropolitan Museum of Art specifies that she took part in four of their eight exhibitions, in 1879, 1880, 1881 and 1886. She then modified her colour, light and compositions while maintaining a practice centred on the figure.

Young Girl at a Window, Woman on a Bench and Woman with a Red Zinnia show compositions in which the moment and the sitter’s attitude matter as much as identity.

Theatre boxes, performance and women in public spaces

Theatres offered Cassatt a modern subject: women both watched and were watched. Opera glasses, mirrors, balconies and box frames organise intersecting gazes. In the Theatre Box places the act of observing at the centre of the scene.

Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Theatre Box and Young Woman in a Theatre Box Looking to the Right vary the angle and direction of the gaze. The Music Party extends this theme through sociability and listening.

Lydia Cassatt, sister and model

Lydia, Mary Cassatt’s sister, appears in several paintings from the 1870s and 1880s. She is not merely a familiar model: her presence allows Cassatt to study reading, needlework, rest and clothing in domestic spaces or gardens.

Autumn, Portrait of Lydia Cassatt gives the portrait a seasonal dimension. Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly combines handicraft and the outdoors. Afternoon Tea places the figure within a social ritual.

Reading, Writing, Sewing and Taking Tea

Everyday activities are treated as fully fledged modern subjects. Cassatt focuses on hands, objects and concentration. The Cup of Tea narrows the view to the figure and the tableware, while The Letter transforms writing into a sequence of gestures.

Françoise Sewing No. 2, Young Mother Sewing and Nurse Reading to a Little Girl place attention at the centre. These scenes can be brought together in a display devoted to reading and everyday gestures.

Portraits of Women and the Diversity of Sitters

Cassatt painted portraits of relatives, friends and patrons at different ages. Portrait of an Elderly Lady, Portrait of Mrs Cortier and Portrait of Madame Sisley show distinct presences without reducing the sitters to their accessories.

Adaline Havemeyer with a White Hat, The Black Hat and The Long Gloves use clothing to structure colour and silhouette. Mrs Cyrus J. Lawrence with Her Grandson combines portraiture with a family relationship.

Children Represented as Individuals

The National Gallery of Art notes that Cassatt did not paint children as miniature adults: their postures, expressions and moments of tiredness or play assert their personalities. Little Girl in a Blue Armchair is a major example, with a relaxed pose amid highly structured furnishings.

Bust of a Little Girl, The Child in a Straw Hat and Little Girl in a Large Red Hat vary the framing and colour. Charles Dikran Kelekian at Eight and Boy with Golden Curls expand the gallery to include portraits of boys.

Mothers and Children: Gestures, Attention and Closeness

The mother-and-child theme occupies an important place, but it is not limited to a decorative image of tenderness. Cassatt observes the weight of the body, contact, gaze and caring tasks. Mother and Child, Woman and Child and Seated Woman with a Child in Her Arms present different relationships.

Mother Nursing Her Child, Mother Playing with a Child and Susan Comforting the Baby show specific actions. Baby Charles Looking over His Mother’s Shoulder shifts the focus towards the child’s gaze.

Bathing, Grooming and Daily Care

Bathing and grooming scenes allow Cassatt to explore high-angle compositions, oval basins, mirrors and textile patterns. The Child’s Bath arranges the composition around the adult’s arms and the child’s body.

The Bath, After the Bath and Mother About to Wash Her Sleeping Child depict several moments of care. Woman Bathing, Girl Arranging Her Hair and Denise at Her Dressing Table extend this repertoire to adult grooming.

Colour Prints and Japanese Influence

After seeing an exhibition of Japanese prints in Paris, Cassatt developed a series of ten colour prints in 1890–1891. The Metropolitan Museum of Art states that she combined drypoint, etching, aquatint and successive impressions to achieve flat areas of colour, lines and patterns. She transposed contemporary scenes without simply imitating their appearance.

The Fitting, The Coiffure, The Lamp and The Letter offer an opportunity to observe cropped compositions, mirrors and decorative surfaces. Choosing one of these compositions is particularly well suited to a graphic interior where line and flat areas play a central role.

Pastel, Drawing and Work on Paper

Cassatt worked extensively in printmaking, as well as in pastel, watercolour and drawing. The National Museum of Women in the Arts records more than 220 prints over the course of her career. Pastel allowed her to combine direct colour, visible strokes and soft transitions without losing the energy of the study.

Sketch of Antoinette, Head of Mother Jeanne Looking Down and Portrait Study of a Young Girl place the construction of the face at the forefront. Head of Simone in a Green Bonnet adds a touch of colour to the tightly cropped composition.

Gardens, Trees and Seasons

Gardens allow the figures to move beyond the interior while retaining close observation. Girl in the Garden, Spring, Margot Standing in a Garden and In the Garden combine dresses, foliage and light.

Under the Chestnut Tree, Children in a Garden and Simone Seated on the Grass beside Her Mother focus on rest or relationships. Summer and Picking Fruit introduce the season and activity.

Walks, the Beach and Boating

Cassatt also painted outings and leisure activities away from home. The Boating Party uses a high horizon, a boat cropped by the edge and a figure seen from behind to create a highly direct image. The National Gallery of Art holds this work, painted in 1893–1894.

A Woman and Girl Driving places a woman at the reins. In the Omnibus observes another mode of transport. Children Playing on the Beach and By the Pond bring figures, water and the outdoors together.

Games, Animals and Learning

Games and animals introduce less formal relationships. Children Playing with a Cat, Sara with Her Dog and Françoise Holding a Little Dog combine attentiveness and movement.

The Banjo Lesson places learning at the centre, while Gardner and Ellen Mary Cassatt and Clarisse offer quieter portraits. Sara with a Green Bonnet completes this group with a study in colour.

Choosing a Mary Cassatt Reproduction

For a graphic composition, choose the prints from 1890–1891, mirrors and dressing-table compositions. Theatre boxes and portraits create a more formal focal point. Gardens, the beach and boating bring more space and light. Reading or sewing scenes suit a calm arrangement centred on gestures.

• An Impressionist Wall: pair a theatre box, a garden and a tea scene.
• A Graphic Composition: bring together The Letter, The Fitting and The Coiffure.
• A Collection Devoted to Childhood: choose different poses and ages.
• An Outdoor Diptych: combine The Boating Party with a garden scene.

Each product page lists the available media, dimensions and options for the work concerned. Select the medium and then the format to display the available variants and corresponding price.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mary Cassatt

Was Mary Cassatt an Impressionist?

Yes. Invited by Edgar Degas, she took part in four exhibitions held by the Impressionist group. Nevertheless, her work followed a personal path, particularly in portraiture, pastel and colour printmaking.

Why did she often paint women and children?

These subjects allowed her to observe experiences, gestures and relationships that were rarely represented with such attention. Children have individual poses and personalities; adults read, work, watch a performance, travel or care for others.

What was the influence of Japanese prints?

Cassatt particularly drew on their flat areas of colour, asymmetrical compositions, elevated viewpoints and the decorative role of patterns. She adapted these principles to contemporary scenes and Western techniques including etching, drypoint and aquatint.

Did Mary Cassatt paint only maternal scenes?

No. Her work includes portraits, theatre boxes, Spanish scenes, gardens, transportation, everyday activities, figure studies, pastels and a substantial body of prints.

How can I find out which formats and prices are available?

Open the page for the chosen artwork, select the medium and then the dimensions. The options actually available and the corresponding price will appear for that combination.

Documentation: National Museum of Women in the Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Gallery of Art.