Boat, Bath 1908

Mary Cassatt made this painting of a mother and child, probably in oil on canvas, sometime in the late 19th century. The way she builds up the forms with these loose, feathery strokes, it's like she's knitting the scene together, one dab of color at a time. It's a real process-oriented approach. Look at how the pink of the child's dress is almost scrubbed onto the canvas, a mix of opaque and translucent layers. You can practically feel the give and take of the brush, the way Cassatt worked to find just the right tone. And then there's that little blue hat, a burst of color that anchors the whole composition. It’s a simple form, yet it really holds our attention, creating a focal point that adds depth to the image. Cassatt knew Manet and Degas, and you can see a shared interest in the everyday, but she brings this intimate, domestic perspective that's all her own. I mean, who’s to say what’s really going on here? It’s up for grabs. That's the beauty of art, right?