Portrait of Madame Alfred Lavergne, born Magdalena Mellon 1905

This is Mary Cassatt’s portrait of Madame Alfred Lavergne, done with pastel on paper. It's got that lovely feeling of being caught in process, that immediacy. You see, with pastels, it’s all about layering and building up those velvety textures. Check out the way Cassatt uses color. It’s not just about skin tones, it’s about creating an atmosphere. The strokes kind of blend together to give a sense of light and shadow, a gentle kind of softness. The whites in her frilly collar are a whole symphony of colors, not just white, but blues and yellows and greys all dancing together. And it’s these marks, these little gestures, that bring the whole thing to life. For me it’s a lot like Berthe Morisot’s work, the way she let paintings breath. It’s not about perfection, but about capturing a moment, an impression. Art, you know, it’s not about answers, it’s about opening up possibilities, letting things be.