Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926)
printed with Leroy (French, active 1876-1900)
The Letter
INV-1350
Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926)
printed with Leroy (French, active 1876-1900)1890–91
drypointprint
Date
1890–91
Medium
Color aquatint and drypoint on off-white laid paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 34.5 × 21.1 cm (13 5/8 × 8 5/16 in.); Sheet: 43.7 × 29.7 cm (17 1/4 × 11 3/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Mary Cassatt began a series of color prints in 1890 that exemplify her indebtedness to Japanese color woodblock prints and her thematic focus on figures in interiors. In The Letter, Cassatt used the patterns of the woman's dress and wallpaper as well as vibrant printing inks to manipulate space and formal elements inspired by Japanese art. The subject matter reflects the artist's focus on women indoors because contemporary social mores restricted their activities outside the home.
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