Sketch of Head of Margo 1902

Mary Cassatt made this pastel sketch of the head of Margo, and you know, pastels feel so immediate. Look at how Cassatt builds up the image with these soft, feathery strokes, especially in Margo's hat and collar. The blue isn’t just one note; it’s layered, almost vibrating with different shades. The texture feels like it could rub right off the page, like a memory fading at the edges. The way Cassatt uses color is really interesting. There’s this gentle contrast between the cool blues and the warm tones of Margo’s hair and skin. It's like she’s capturing a fleeting moment, a quick impression. I think about Degas, who also worked a lot in pastel, and how he similarly used the medium to capture the feeling of movement. There’s an intimacy here, a sense of quiet observation. Art is always a conversation, isn’t it? A way of seeing and then sharing that vision, however fleeting.