Susan on a Balcony Holding a Dog [verso]

Susan on a Balcony Holding a Dog [verso] by Mary Cassatt is an intimate study created in 1883. This piece, classified as a drawing, utilizes the technically complex medium of transferred softground on wove paper. This method allowed Cassatt to achieve a sensitive, textural line quality, closely mimicking the softness of a pencil or chalk drawing while preparing the image for eventual printmaking. The verso designation suggests this image was likely preparatory or related directly to a subsequent graphic work, reflecting Cassatt’s deep and innovative involvement in developing new printmaking methods during the late nineteenth century.

Executed during the crucial American period spanning 1876 to 1900, the work reflects Cassatt's dedication to capturing the private and modern experience of women. Though often celebrated for her oils and luminous color etchings, this piece demonstrates Cassatt’s fundamental skill in draftsmanship. The subject, identified as Susan, is depicted seated casually on a balcony, holding a small dog. This motif of women and companion animals appears frequently in Cassatt’s oeuvre, emphasizing moments of quiet contemplation, domesticity, and the unposed life far removed from academic historical subjects.

The careful arrangement and attention to the figure’s posture illustrate why Cassatt remains a central figure in American Impressionism. Her meticulous approach to rendering form was essential to the successful creation of her celebrated editions of prints. The work, Susan on a Balcony Holding a Dog [verso], is part of the distinguished collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. As an important historical document from this prolific era, it is frequently studied by scholars. The continued legacy of the artist means that many preparatory drawings and resulting prints from her career often enter the public domain, allowing wider access to the influential artistic contributions of Mary Cassatt.