In the Omnibus

In the Omnibus by Mary Cassatt is a masterful example of printmaking, executed as a drypoint with graphite on wove paper between 1890 and 1891. This technique, where the artist draws directly into the metal plate with a sharp point, raising a burr that catches the ink, lends a characteristic velvety quality to the lines. Cassatt, a pivotal American artist working predominantly in France, utilized this demanding print process to explore the intimate moments of contemporary life away from the larger scale of oil painting.

Created during the late Impressionist period spanning 1876 to 1900, this drypoint captures the subject of women navigating the public sphere, a recurring theme in Cassatt’s oeuvre. The composition depicts a mother and child seated within the confined space of a horse-drawn omnibus, observing the world outside the carriage window. Unlike her earlier, softer Impressionist compositions, Cassatt’s stylistic approach during this time shows a significant engagement with Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, influencing her use of flattened space, bold contours, and asymmetrical design. The drypoint medium was essential to achieving the clarity and graphic strength seen in this piece.

As a pivotal example of late 19th-century graphic arts, this work belongs to a crucial series of ten prints Cassatt completed during the early 1890s, cementing her reputation as a leading innovator in the print medium. This fine example of early American graphic arts, In the Omnibus, is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Today, high-resolution reproductions of such important public domain prints allow researchers and enthusiasts worldwide access to Cassatt’s revolutionary approach to modern subject matter and her profound skill in graphic depiction.