Head of Julie, Looking Down 1909

Mary Cassatt made this pastel drawing, Head of Julie, Looking Down, at a time when the French art world was grappling with the role of women in painting. Cassatt was an American artist working in France, alongside the Impressionists, but the Paris Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, was dominated by men. While it was difficult for women to gain entry to the Académie, let alone succeed as artists, Cassatt challenged these established art institutions. She achieved this through depictions of women in everyday settings. Cassatt's skill with pastel is displayed in the soft textures of Julie's skin and hair, set against a muted background. By focusing on the domestic and social lives of women, Cassatt offered an alternative to the male gaze, which had long dominated Western art. To understand Cassatt's work better, we can explore the archives of the Académie des Beaux-Arts and other Salon records. In doing so, we can shed light on the social conditions that shaped artistic production during this period.