The Bath 1890 - 1891

Editor: So this is Mary Cassatt’s "The Bath," likely created between 1890 and 1891. It appears to be a print, a drawing using pencils. The intimacy and tenderness between the mother and child are striking. What formal qualities stand out to you in this piece? Curator: Note the radical cropping. Cassatt positions us, the viewers, in an intimate, almost voyeuristic relationship. We're brought close, privy to this private moment, yet are simultaneously denied complete access through compositional constraints. How does the flattened picture plane affect your reading? Editor: I guess it emphasizes the surface and pattern, moving away from any illusion of depth. It feels very modern for its time. Curator: Precisely. It's a sophisticated interplay of flatness and form. Consider how the lines delineate form, but then dissolve into mere outline, negating any sense of three-dimensionality. Observe, too, how the subtle color washes serve to further flatten the forms. Do you perceive any visual rhyme, echoing patterns within the picture’s architecture? Editor: Well, the curve of the basin seems to echo the curve of the child’s back, creating a visual harmony. Curator: Indeed, a formal echoing, a structural consonance. Furthermore, note the relationship between the solid, grounded forms of the figures, and the sketchy, almost unfinished nature of their surrounding environment. Editor: That contrast really emphasizes the figures, bringing the viewer’s eye to their interaction. I appreciate how your analysis highlights these elements! Curator: It is through careful attention to form that we can truly grasp the artwork's inherent value.