Sara in a Large Flowered Hat Looking Right Holding Her Dog 1902

Mary Cassatt made this pastel drawing of Sara in a Large Flowered Hat, with her dog, sometime in her career. Just look at the scumbling of those marks! The surface feels like a soft cloud. What was Cassatt thinking when she was making this? I’m really drawn to the way she’s handled the pastel; the little girl’s skin is a mix of pink and lavender, as though blood is moving under the surface. And that dog— it looks so fluffy you just want to reach out and pet it. But it's also kinda sad, right? Like its been forced to sit still for too long. Cassatt made a lot of paintings of women and children, and you can see the influence of Degas and Manet in the way she captures a fleeting moment. She's part of this conversation with those painters, and many more. The conversation is still ongoing, a constant source of inspiration for artists like me.