In the Opera Box [verso] 1880

Editor: Here we have Mary Cassatt’s "In the Opera Box", made around 1880, using etching and drawing. It feels like a glimpse into a private world, all in these muted browns. What strikes you about it? Curator: The opera box was a fascinating space for women, wasn’t it? A place to see and be seen, yet also subtly constrained. I'm struck by how Cassatt plays with that duality. Editor: Constrained, how so? Curator: Think about the social expectations placed on women like this. Their presence was ornamental in many ways, and this piece seems to hint at the tensions between display and interiority. The gaze, both outward and reflected, becomes a powerful element. What is she looking at? Who is looking at her? Consider also, who had access to the opera and portraiture at this time, and what it meant for a female artist to occupy this space? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it like that. I was more focused on the…vulnerability, maybe, of her expression. But framing it within those power dynamics, I can see a completely different reading. The fan feels almost like a shield. Curator: Exactly! It is about seeing beyond face value. That intersection of societal expectations, the female gaze, and the power dynamics in the art world, is key to understanding Cassatt’s work. Editor: It makes me want to look at her other pieces, too. It's amazing how one image can unpack so much. Curator: Indeed. Art, after all, invites us to critique, reflect, and ultimately, reshape our own perspectives.