The Mandolin Player 1872

Mary Cassatt painted ‘The Mandolin Player’ in oil on canvas, though we don’t know exactly when. The artwork is a study of a young Italian woman in a simple peasant dress playing a mandolin. Cassatt was an American artist who spent most of her adult life in France, and became associated with the Impressionists. But she received her training in the United States, and her work reflects the norms of American art institutions of the time. It was common for American artists to travel to Europe and bring back images of the continent’s inhabitants. These images were frequently romanticized and exoticized, reflecting the American interest in foreign cultures. Cassatt was keen to show an image of European culture for the American market. Art historians rely on a range of resources such as letters, exhibition reviews, and historical accounts to understand how artworks like this reflect cultural exchange, artistic training, and the social structures of their time.