Margot in Blue 1902

Mary Cassatt painted 'Margot in Blue' with soft strokes of oil paint, rendering a child in a large frilly hat and blue dress. The paint here isn't thick or luscious, but Cassatt’s touch feels incredibly sensitive. I imagine her gently building up layers of color, trying to capture the fleeting expression on Margot's face. What was Cassatt thinking when she made this? Maybe she was reflecting on childhood and innocence, or perhaps she was simply captivated by the play of light on the girl's dress. You see this gesture of the hands clasped so politely in her lap. The way Cassatt depicted Margot reminds me of other Impressionists and Post-Impressionists who worked with domestic themes and portraiture. They’re all in conversation with each other across time, inspiring each other's creativity. Ultimately, painting is a form of expression, and I think this piece allows for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed readings.