Afternoon Tea Party

The work Afternoon Tea Party, created by Mary Cassatt between 1890 and 1891, is a masterful example of the artist’s graphic output following her intense study of Japanese woodblock techniques. Classified as a print, this piece was executed using a complex and demanding combination of processes: color drypoint, softground etching, and aquatint, applied to laid paper. The utilization of multiple intaglio methods allowed Cassatt to achieve a remarkably subtle interplay of color, tone, and texture, moving far beyond the simple outlines typical of earlier Western graphic arts.

The period from 1876 to 1900 marked the height of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist activity, with Cassatt solidifying her reputation as a key American figure working abroad. Her subject matter consistently focused on the interior, private lives of women, often depicting the domestic rituals and social constraints of bourgeois existence. The scene here, likely depicting two or three women engaged in the formal custom of tea, exemplifies her interest in observation and psychological nuance. Cassatt employs defined contours and areas of flat color, hallmarks borrowed directly from the ukiyo-e prints that were highly fashionable in Paris at the time, lending the composition a sense of immediate visual clarity and sophistication.

As one of Cassatt’s most significant color prints, the technical quality of this impression underscores her dedication to printmaking as an independent fine art form, rather than merely a reproductive medium. The survival of high-quality examples, such as this one housed in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, confirms the enduring artistic value of her efforts during this time. Because of its place in the history of graphic arts and its inclusion in major museum collections, the work is frequently studied, and high-resolution reproductions are often made available through educational and public domain initiatives.