Head of a Young Girl 1876

Mary Cassatt painted this portrait of a young girl using oil on canvas. The visible brushstrokes and the way the colours are layered give a sense of immediacy, as though we’re seeing the subject in a fleeting moment. Cassatt's technique emphasizes the materiality of paint, with thick impasto creating texture and depth. The loose brushwork and unfinished quality contrast with the highly polished surfaces often associated with fine art, suggesting a more informal, intimate approach to portraiture. The materiality allows us to consider the social context in which Cassatt was working, challenging traditional expectations of women artists and their subjects. By embracing a more expressive, painterly style, Cassatt asserts her own artistic agency, elevating the everyday experience of women to the realm of high art. This work challenges conventional boundaries and invites us to appreciate the beauty and significance of both the subject and the artistic process itself.