Mary Cassatt at the Louvre: The Paintings Gallery

Mary Cassatt at the Louvre: The Paintings Gallery by Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917), executed between 1879 and 1880, is a remarkable example of the artist's deep engagement with the complexities of printmaking. This sophisticated print, rendered on cream wove paper, showcases Degas's skillful integration of multiple intaglio processes, including etching, soft ground etching, aquatint, and drypoint. This diverse combination allowed the artist to achieve a rich complexity of tone, texture, and velvety darkness, moving far beyond the linear constraints often associated with standard etchings of the period.

The subject matter captures Degas’s friend and fellow Impressionist, Mary Cassatt, observing artworks within the hallowed halls of the Grand Gallery of the Louvre in France. Degas frequently explored scenes of modern life, but his depictions of individuals engaging with fine art are particularly intimate. Cassatt is shown from behind, emphasizing her role as an anonymous, modern viewer within a classical setting. Her contemporary silhouette, contrasted against the historic masterworks on the wall, emphasizes the changing dynamic between art and its audience in 19th-century Paris. The use of drypoint, in particular, adds definition and density to the drapery and the architectural framing.

As a significant example of French graphic arts from the late 1870s, this work reveals Degas’s experimental approach to the printed medium and his meticulous study of human posture and observation. The various states and subtle technical changes evident in Mary Cassatt at the Louvre: The Paintings Gallery are crucial for understanding the artist’s methodology. This important piece is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key reference for the artist's influential body of prints.