The Mirror c. 1891

Editor: This is "The Mirror," an etching by Mary Cassatt from around 1891. It's a print, so relatively small, but the intimacy of the scene really draws me in. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a mother and child? Curator: Beyond the tender depiction, I see Cassatt subtly challenging the conventions of representation of women in art at the time. How do you perceive the gaze of the woman and the child in relation to that reflected image in the mirror? Editor: The woman looks almost melancholy, lost in thought, and she's looking at her reflection. The child looks at the viewer, like they are interrupting the reflection. Is Cassatt trying to subvert some common tropes? Curator: Precisely. Consider the historical context: Traditionally, women were often objectified, passively displayed. Cassatt offers a woman looking at herself, taking control of her own image. Her reflection also introduces the theme of the societal expectation of self-reflection among women. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. So, it's not just a scene of domesticity, it’s making a statement about female identity in a patriarchal society? Curator: Absolutely. She uses a domestic scene, what was expected of women at the time, as a space for this quiet rebellion. Even the medium – printmaking – made the work more accessible, more democratic. Do you think it changed how viewers saw depictions of women in intimate spaces? Editor: It’s fascinating to think about the image challenging traditional representations and, especially, influencing social change. This print seems a lot more revolutionary now! Curator: Exactly. And that's the power of art – to make us reconsider not only what we see, but also the forces that shape what we think we know. Editor: Thank you. Now I understand Cassatt's aims. I learned a lot about women's depiction, how art can play into a narrative, and challenge its viewer to think outside traditional composition and narrative.