The Fitting 1890 - 1891

Mary Cassatt made this color print, "The Fitting," using drypoint and aquatint, processes more closely associated with commercial printmaking than with traditional fine art. Look closely, and you'll see the layered textures and subtle gradations of color, achieved through the careful application of acid to the metal plate. This was painstaking work, demanding meticulous attention to detail. The aquatint gives a soft, hazy effect, while the drypoint creates crisp, velvety lines. The image itself depicts an intimate scene of a woman trying on a dress, attended by a seamstress. Consider the social context. The late 19th century was a time of burgeoning consumer culture, and fashion played an increasingly important role in shaping identity. Cassatt, however, focuses our attention on the labor involved in the creation of these fashionable garments. The seamstress, hunched over her work, is a reminder of the often-invisible hands that produced the clothes worn by the wealthy. Cassatt's choice of printmaking as a medium, with its inherent connection to reproduction and accessibility, further underscores the relationship between art, craft, and commerce.