Artwork
Peasant Mother and Child
Peasant Mother and Child is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1894, *Peasant Mother and Child* is a color drypoint and aquatint print by Mary Cassatt. The work presents a modest domestic scene, depicting a woman in a light dress seated with a child perched on her shoulder. The composition is set against an unadorned background, allowing the figures to dominate the picture plane with muted, soft tones.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a quiet, intimate moment between mother and child, their faces turned away as if absorbed in private thought. Cassatt’s focus on the everyday bond between women and their offspring reflects her broader interest in the private lives of women, emphasizing tenderness without narrative drama.
Technique & Style
Cassett employs drypoint lines combined with aquatint washes to achieve delicate tonal gradations. The print’s simple linear contours and subtle shading convey a sense of softness, aligning with the Impressionist concern for fleeting light effects and the nuanced rendering of atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Cassatt, an American expatriate who spent most of her career in France, produced this work during her mature period when she was closely linked to the Impressionist circle. The print was exhibited alongside works by her contemporaries, reinforcing her reputation as a leading figure in the movement’s printmaking endeavors.
Context
The piece belongs to Cassatt’s series of prints that explore maternal themes, a subject she returned to repeatedly. By choosing a peasant mother rather than a bourgeois figure, she expands the scope of domestic representation, aligning with late‑19th‑century interests in everyday life and social realism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mary Stevenson Cassatt (; May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker.
