The Lamp 1890 - 1891

"The Lamp" is a drypoint etching by American artist Mary Cassatt. It depicts a woman, likely a portrait of Cassatt herself, reclining in a chair, her back to the viewer. The composition is dominated by the lampshade, its form echoing the woman's figure, a common artistic trope in Cassatt's works. This print, executed in 1890-1891, highlights Cassatt's stylistic development towards simplified lines and a more suggestive approach to form. The etching demonstrates Cassatt's characteristic focus on intimate domestic scenes and her fascination with the interplay of light and shadow.