Margot Leaning against Reine’s Knee c. 1902

Mary Cassatt made this drawing, Margot Leaning against Reine’s Knee, with pencil on paper. The marks are delicate and tentative, kind of searching. This reminds me that drawing is a process of discovery, a way to feel out the world. Look at the way she uses line. It’s not about outlining shapes; it’s more like feeling around the edges of things, letting the lines suggest form rather than define it. The texture of the paper also plays a role. The tooth of the page catches the graphite, creating a subtle sense of depth. I am drawn to the soft hatching around the figures. It’s like a gentle caress, creating a sense of intimacy and warmth. Cassatt was interested in capturing everyday moments, in showing the quiet, tender interactions between people. In her own way, she relates to Morisot. The way she embraced the unfinished, the fleeting, and the personal. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection; it’s about capturing a feeling, an emotion, a moment in time.