Artwork
In the Opera Box (No. 3)
In the Opera Box (No. 3) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt. It dates from 1880 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created circa 1880, *In the Opera Box (No.
About this work
Overview
The surrounding interior is suggested rather than detailed, directing the viewer’s focus to the figure’s contemplative demeanor.
Created circa 1880, *In the Opera Box (No. 3)* is a print by Mary Cassatt executed with soft‑ground etching and aquatint on laid paper. The composition centers on a solitary woman seated in an opera box, her gaze directed outward and her expression rendered with particular attention to the downward tilt of her eyes. The surrounding interior is suggested rather than detailed, directing the viewer’s focus to the figure’s contemplative demeanor.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a fashionable woman in a public performance space, a recurring motif in Cassatt’s oeuvre that explores the private interior lives of women in social settings. By isolating the sitter’s face and minimizing background detail, the print invites speculation about her thoughts—whether absorbed in the music, recalling a personal memory, or observing the audience beyond the frame. The emphasis on a single female figure aligns with Cassatt’s broader interest in women’s experiences and interpersonal connections.
Technique & Style
Cassatt combined soft‑ground etching, which captures delicate line work, with aquatint to achieve subtle tonal variations across the laid paper surface. The soft‑ground method allows for a slightly blurred, atmospheric quality in the surrounding architecture, while the aquatint provides a muted palette of grays that model the sitter’s facial features. This blend of line and tone reflects the Impressionist concern for fleeting impressions and the nuanced rendering of light and mood.
History & Provenance
An American expatriate who spent most of her adult life in France, Cassatt was closely linked to the Impressionist circle and maintained a friendship with Edgar Degas, who influenced her printmaking practice. *In the Opera Box (No. 3)* was produced during a period when she was actively experimenting with etching techniques, contributing to the limited body of her prints that document contemporary social life. The print has since been held in several museum collections specializing in 19th‑century American and French art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mary Stevenson Cassatt (; May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker.
