Mary Cassatt c. 1880 - 1884

Edgar Degas made this oil-on-canvas portrait of the American painter Mary Cassatt sometime in the late 1870s or early 1880s. It depicts Cassatt in a private, contemplative moment, holding playing cards. Degas and Cassatt were contemporaries in Paris, involved with the Impressionist movement. But they were also engaged in the cultural politics of the time. As an American woman, Cassatt's position in the Parisian art world was shaped by gender and nationality. The Impressionists, and Degas in particular, often explored the changing roles of women in modern society. Cassatt, here, isn’t shown in a public role or on display. She's portrayed as an individual, absorbed in her thoughts and her own world, and the cards might reflect this interiority. Art historians look to letters, exhibition reviews, and social histories to understand the relationships between artists and the social conditions that shaped their work. By examining the context in which a painting was made, we gain a better understanding of its meaning and significance.