Hélène of Septeuil c. 1890

Mary Cassatt made this drypoint print, Hélène of Septeuil, at an unknown date. Cassatt was an American artist who lived much of her adult life in France. She was part of the Impressionist movement, which challenged the established French art institutions and their conservative, academic style. Her favored subjects were women, especially mothers with children, and this print shows a woman holding a little girl, perhaps her daughter, in an intimate, domestic scene. In its own way, this was a radical subject for a fine art print. The institutions of art frowned on depictions of women in the domestic sphere. Cassatt and other Impressionists wanted to show the reality of modern life, which included women and children. The image has a sketch-like, unfinished quality, characteristic of the Impressionist style. If you want to know more, explore the catalogues of exhibitions held during the Impressionist era. These can help us better understand the social context in which Cassatt lived and worked. Remember, the meaning of art changes as society changes.