Portrait of Ellen Mary Cassatt 1898

Editor: Here we have Mary Cassatt's "Portrait of Ellen Mary Cassatt" from 1898, rendered in pastel. I find the tenderness in this piece quite moving, especially considering the delicate nature of the pastel medium. What strikes you about this work? Curator: Immediately, the visible labor is compelling. The pastel medium, often seen as 'feminine' and relegated to sketching, is here used for a formal portrait. Cassatt’s choice challenges the traditional hierarchy of art materials and the assumed 'seriousness' of oil painting. It forces us to consider the socio-economic factors at play; who gets to decide what constitutes 'high art'? Editor: So, the very choice of pastels is making a statement about art world hierarchies? Curator: Precisely. Furthermore, the work isn’t about idealised beauty, but capturing a specific child at a specific moment. Look at the quick, almost sketchy marks; this emphasizes the process of creation, the artist's hand, instead of obscuring it. How does this inform the viewer? Editor: I see what you mean. The visible process gives the artwork an unfinished quality, but it feels very immediate. It removes the sense of an idealized sitter and celebrates the reality of a child. Curator: It's less about capturing some kind of ethereal beauty and more about the means of representation itself. What this representation actually says about its subject in a changing society. Editor: I hadn't considered that level of social commentary just by looking at the pastel itself. Curator: Cassatt compels us to look at art, and portraiture, in particular, through the lens of its materiality and production. It's not just about who is portrayed, but how and with what. Editor: That's a perspective that really opens up the work. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Seeing the materials used adds so much depth to our appreciation of Cassatt and her practice.