Drawing for "Standing Nude" c. 1879

Mary Cassatt made this drawing for "Standing Nude" using graphite on paper. It is a study, a sketch in preparation for a larger work, and as such, it gives us insight into Cassatt’s artistic process. The graphite lines are tentative, searching, and vulnerable, revealing the artist's hand in a direct way. Look closely, and you can see the pentimenti, the traces of changes she made as she worked, adjusting the figure's pose and proportions. While the choice of subject is conventional, a standing nude, the materiality of the drawing lends it a modern feel. The immediacy of graphite on paper, a medium readily available, allows for a sense of intimacy and informality. It’s not a grand statement in oil paint, but a quiet, personal exploration of form and light. By focusing on process, on the artist's hand at work, we can appreciate this drawing not just as a preliminary study, but as a valuable work of art in its own right.