Sara in Dark Bonnet with Right Hand on Arm of Chair 

Mary Cassatt created Sara in Dark Bonnet with Right Hand on Arm of Chair with oil on canvas. Cassatt was part of the Impressionist movement, and like other painters in that group, she was interested in the immediacy of perception. You can really see that in her technique here. She's using quick, loose brushstrokes that capture the textures and colors of Sara’s dress and bonnet. The paint is applied in layers, creating a sense of depth and luminosity. You can see the evidence of her working process, giving the painting a sense of vitality. What’s interesting here is how the making of the artwork is connected to larger social issues. Cassatt was a woman working in a male-dominated art world, but she made a career by focusing on the domestic sphere and painting portraits of women and children. This painting is a great example of how she was able to find a place for herself, and it challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and more everyday subjects.