Sketch of Mother Looking down at Thomas 1915

Mary Cassatt made this sketch of a mother looking down at Thomas using pastel on paper. I can imagine Cassatt in her studio, head tilted slightly, squinting at her subjects. It's all about the feeling, isn’t it? The blue pastel strokes behind the figures create a soft background, almost like a hazy dream. Then there's the orange around the mother’s form, like she’s radiating warmth. Cassatt's marks are tentative, searching, capturing a fleeting moment of tenderness. There is a quiet conversation between those blacks and blues, offset by the peachiness of the skin and hair. It’s all about the relationship, this leaning in, this looking down, the safety and vulnerability. Cassatt, Morisot, and the other Impressionists were all in conversation with each other, you know? Always pushing, always looking. It makes you wonder about those moments when she stepped back, head cocked, and thought, "Yes, that’s it."