Woman`s Head with Large Hat 1909

Mary Cassatt made this pastel drawing of a woman with a big hat at a time when women artists were fighting for space. I can imagine her standing there, charcoal in hand, deciding what to leave in and what to take out. The strokes are so immediate, like she’s trying to catch a fleeting impression. Look at the hat – it's this explosion of blue, rendered with such energy. And the woman’s face, so soft, so present. I wonder what Cassatt was thinking, how much was studied, and how much intuitive? Did she labor over it or did it all come together in one go? See how the brown paper peeps through in places? That’s where the magic happens, where the drawing breathes. It’s like she’s having a conversation with Degas, with Manet, saying, “I’m here, I’m seeing, and I have something to say too”. Painting is like that, a way to connect with each other, across time, across studios, and keep the conversation going.