The Bath 1890 - 1891

Curator: This is Mary Cassatt’s "The Bath," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The print is a rather intimate domestic scene, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Yes, immediately striking. I appreciate the muted tones and the composition focusing on form and line. There's an undeniable tenderness there. Curator: Absolutely, and that tenderness is rendered through a fascinating interplay of labor and intimacy. Cassatt, a woman artist of her time, portrays a subject matter largely centered around women's roles, celebrating the quotidian work of motherhood. Editor: Yes, it is interesting how she uses the formal language of Japanese prints, like the flattening of space, to create something so intimate, but perhaps her flattening speaks to a world in which the labour of women is so often overlooked. Curator: Precisely. It blurs the boundaries between high art and the lived experience of women, challenging the established art world norms. Editor: It is a tender and thoughtful work. I am happy to have spent the time. Curator: Indeed, a work that invites us to consider the labor and love interwoven in everyday life.