Afternoon Tea Party

"Afternoon Tea Party" is a significant color print created by the American Impressionist Mary Cassatt between 1890 and 1891. This exceptional work showcases Cassatt's highly complex approach to printmaking, utilizing a sophisticated combination of color drypoint, softground etching, and aquatint. Subtle touches of gold metallic paint enhance the surface of the wove paper, further highlighting the decorative quality of the composition. Executed during the period spanning 1876 to 1900, this piece reflects the high point of Cassatt's experimentation with graphic arts, following her intense study and adaptation of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

As an expatriate American artist working primarily in France, Cassatt dedicated much of her output to intimate scenes illustrating the sophisticated interior lives and rituals of women. This specific print captures an idealized moment of social engagement and domesticity characteristic of upper-middle-class life in the late nineteenth century. Cassatt masterfully employs strong drypoint lines for structural clarity, contrasting them with the delicate tonal washes achieved through the aquatint process. Her focus was not merely illustrative but exploratory, analyzing composition and color harmony within the demanding constraints of multi-plate color printing.

The technical brilliance required for this medium firmly established Cassatt's reputation among the era's foremost graphic artists. Her distinctive style places her firmly within the avant-garde movements that defined the turn of the century. Recognized as a key example of the artistic exchange between American and European movements in the late 1800s, this masterful work resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Its technical complexity and refined aesthetic continue to secure its place as a cornerstone of late nineteenth-century prints.