Mary Cassatt, Little Girl in a Blue Armchair, 1878, oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Title: Little Girl in a Blue Armchair
Artist: Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)
Is it time for a nap for a girl and her pet? Slumped on her chair, is she about to fall asleep, taking a cue from her canine companion on the nearby chair?
The two seem oblivious of their colorful surroundings, dominated by the striking blue and decorative pattern of the plush furnishings. Truly a room of another era, of elegant ladies and attentive gentlemen that, only a moment ago, was an arena of play.
Mary Cassatt is considered one of the greatest painters of children in the history of art, capturing them with a naturalness equaled by few other artists. Although born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and growing up in Philadelphia, Cassatt spent most of her professional life as an artist in Paris. Early in her career, she met Edgar Degas and soon began showing her paintings and pastels in the exhibitions held by the French Impressionists between 1874-1886. LITTLE GIRL IN A BLUE ARMCHAIR is probably one of Cassatt’s first portrayals of a child.
In the public domain, courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
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