Leontine in a Pink Fluffy Hat 1898

Curator: What a delicate portrait. This is Mary Cassatt's "Leontine in a Pink Fluffy Hat," made around 1898 using pastels. The piece resides in a private collection, and every time I see it I'm struck by its tenderness. Editor: There’s an almost ephemeral quality to it. The texture of the pastels, particularly in the hat, is fascinating. I'm drawn to how soft the overall effect is despite the clear, deliberate marks of the medium. You can practically feel the fibers. Curator: Absolutely. Cassatt, of course, had this unique insight into the private lives of women and children in the late 19th century. It makes you wonder, though, about Leontine herself, this girl perhaps coming of age, the hat acting like a prop in performing girlhood? The details of her clothing, or the hint of a collared shirt, are somewhat ambiguous. Editor: Right, and look at how she handled the making of the hat itself. It's an object of adornment that completely obscures her hair. One considers its production: the probable origin and transformation of wool and how a simple, perhaps handmade object defines this portrait and informs a specific kind of late 19th-century femininity. Curator: Exactly! It’s through representations like this that we can then explore what that means within a society built upon class, and gendered expectations. The hat as object both restricts and empowers Leontine, in a way. Editor: Indeed, there is no need to shy away from analyzing how art is entangled with class and consumption. I find it interesting how Cassatt brings this element in, so the focus extends past her portraiture interests to address how art and materials shaped perceptions and identities during this period. Curator: It really underscores the power of the gaze, and who holds it, doesn't it? Leontine, rendered so softly, yet scrutinized by our contemporary eyes and through our various positionalities and histories. Editor: Looking at this today brings home how artwork from the late 1800s still holds weight, showing just how interwoven labor, manufacturing, and artwork remain. Cassatt captured a pivotal time in consumer history in this singular, innocent looking portrait.