Repose

Repose, created by Mary Cassatt in 1890, is a refined example of the American artist’s mastery of the graphic arts, executed using the demanding technique of drypoint on laid paper. This particular print exemplifies the intimate, figure-focused work that defined Cassatt’s oeuvre during the later decades of the nineteenth century. Though she worked primarily in Paris alongside the French Impressionists, Cassatt was a singular voice whose culture and period, spanning 1876 to 1900, cemented her legacy as a foundational figure in modern American art.

The drypoint medium was one Cassatt treated with the same seriousness as her oil paintings. Unlike etching, which uses acid to cut lines into the plate, drypoint involves scratching directly into the metal with a needle. This process raises a burr of displaced copper, which, when wiped during inking, retains a slight residue, resulting in the characteristic soft, velvety line visible in Repose. Cassatt exploited this textural quality to suggest light, shadow, and the soft fabric surrounding her subject, capturing a moment of quiet domesticity.

The composition adheres to the Impressionist interest in contemporary, unidealized life, focusing typically on women and children in private settings. Cassatt’s dedicated output of prints during this era placed her at the forefront of the graphic arts revival, often referencing the flattening of forms and bold linearity found in Japanese woodblock prints which were then circulating widely in Europe.

This powerful work is an important piece within the extensive collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. The classification of Repose as a print ensures its accessibility and continued scholarly interest, further solidifying Cassatt’s crucial role in the development of American and global art history during the turn of the century.