In the Opera Box, No. 3

In the Opera Box, No. 3 is a distinctive print created by Mary Cassatt American, 1844-1926, in 1880. This piece, a masterwork of graphic arts, is executed using the complex technique of soft ground etching and aquatint on cream laid paper.

As one of the few American artists working intimately within the French Impressionist circle, Cassatt used the demanding print medium to explore contemporary, often domestic, life. The combination of soft ground etching allowed her to achieve delicate, almost crayon-like line work, while the aquatint created nuanced, velvety tonal areas essential for capturing the subtleties of indoor light and atmosphere.

The subject matter centers on a modern woman observed within the restrictive, yet public, space of the theater box, a common theme in Cassatt’s oeuvre focusing on female autonomy and social surveillance. This genre scene, executed early in the decade, demonstrates Cassatt’s preoccupation with the social rituals of the Parisian bourgeoisie rather than the traditional academic subjects often expected of artists originating from the United States.

Cassatt (1844-1926) repeatedly returned to this intimate depiction of women in public, mastering the creation of high-quality prints that brought her modern observations to a wider audience. This work is classified as a print and resides in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains an important example of her graphic experimentation. As a work produced in 1880, reproductions of the image are often found available through public domain collections.