Jul 20, 2007

The Lamp

The Lamp

1890–91

Mary Cassatt

(American, 1844–1926)

Drypoint, softground etching, and aquatint

Platemark: 32.1 x 25 cm (12 5/8 x 9 13/16 in.); Sheet: 44 x 27.8 cm (17 5/16 x 10 15/16 in.)

Bequest of Charles T. Brooks 1941.73

Catalogue raisonné: Mathews & Shapiro 6, Breeskin 144

State: M & S: II/IV, B: between II & III/III

Location

Did you know?

Mary Cassatt was inspired to create this print after visiting an expansive exhibition of Japanese woodblocks at Paris's École des Beaux-Arts.

Description

The theme of a bourgeois woman "at home," coiffed and dressed to greet visitors, was a familiar one in Cassatt’s work, utilized in compositions such as Mimi as a Brunette. The position of the model as seen from behind may reflect the consideration of the nape of a woman’s neck as the ultimate symbol of beauty and eroticism in Japan.

See also
Collection: 
PR - Drypoint
Department: 
Prints
Type of artwork: 
Print

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email [email protected].

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.