Untitled c. 1972

This untitled work was created by Joan Cassis, most likely sometime before her death in 1996. The child portrayed here, rendered in soft pastels, stands before a mustard-colored wall, covered with crayon scribbles. We might see this not just as a portrait of a child, but also as a commentary on domestic space and the visual codes of childhood. What unspoken narratives are contained within the four walls of a home? Cassis seems to ask this question. Her choice of pastels evokes both a sense of innocence and fragility, while the scribbled wall hints at confinement. Perhaps Cassis, as a woman artist, was commenting on the social construction of childhood and the private sphere. To truly understand this work, one might explore the social and political context in which it was created. Studying Cassis's biography and the broader art historical context would give us further insight into its meaning and significance.