Sketch of Antoinette 1899

Mary Cassatt made this sketch of Antoinette, most likely in France, during the late 19th century. It's a quick oil study, probably intended as preparation for a more finished work. But what’s most interesting here is the social context that makes this kind of image possible. Consider Cassatt's position as a female artist in a male-dominated art world. While women were often excluded from formal artistic training, Cassatt found ways to navigate this system, becoming associated with the Impressionists, a group that challenged the established Salon system. Her focus on domestic scenes and portraits of women and children, while seemingly conventional, provided her with a space to explore the inner lives and social roles of women in a rapidly changing society. To truly understand this work, we might delve into exhibition records, letters between artists, and the writings of contemporary art critics. These sources help us to see how images like this both reflected and shaped the social norms of their time.