The Caress c. 1891

Curator: Mary Cassatt's "The Caress," held here at the Harvard Art Museums, is a delicate print rendering of a mother and child. It strikes me as both intimate and remarkably modern in its simplicity. Editor: The etching process itself is part of the subject, isn't it? Consider the labor involved in producing multiple impressions, making motherhood a commodity for wider consumption. Curator: Indeed, and the way she employs the etched line is fascinating; notice how the bare minimum of strokes effectively conveys depth and shadow. Editor: But even those lines speak to gendered labor, reflecting the controlled production of images for bourgeois homes—art as domestic adornment. Curator: I see it more as Cassatt pushing the boundaries of printmaking, elevating it to a fine art while exploring the complex emotional bond between mother and child. Editor: Perhaps. But the commodification of intimate moments like this also helped shape societal expectations around motherhood in the late 19th century. Curator: It’s a compelling idea, and one this deceptively simple print makes all the richer. Editor: Yes, it certainly leaves one with much to consider.