Louise Nursing Her Child 1898

Mary Cassatt made this intimate scene of motherhood using pastels, a medium consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The beauty of pastels lies in their immediacy; with minimal mixing, Cassatt applied them directly to the paper, capturing fleeting moments with soft, feathery strokes. The dry pigments create a velvety texture, lending a gentle quality to the figures. Notice how the material itself seems to reflect the tenderness of the subject, and how the artist's hand is evident in the layering of color, building up forms with subtle gradations of tone. Cassatt's choice of pastels was significant, challenging the traditional hierarchy of art materials. While oil paints were often associated with grand, historical subjects, pastels were seen as a more informal, domestic medium, suited to capturing the everyday lives of women and children. By elevating pastels to the realm of fine art, Cassatt asserted the value of women's experiences and perspectives, blurring the lines between craft and high art.