The Corner of the Sofa (No. 1)

The Corner of the Sofa (No. 1) by Mary Cassatt American, 1844-1926, created in 1879, is a significant early example of the artist’s mastery of graphic media. Executed in soft ground etching and aquatint on ivory laid paper, this work showcases the subtlety and depth achievable through layered printing techniques. Cassatt employed soft ground to lend the etched lines a delicate, granular quality, similar to a crayon or pencil sketch, which contrasts with the rich, brushed tones achieved through the aquatint process.

The composition highlights an intimate domestic scene, characteristic of the subject matter the artist would explore throughout her career. By focusing on a confined interior space, Cassatt explores the private lives and psychological states of women, lending dignity and modernity to her figures. This focus was a deliberate choice by the American artist, who, despite her deep engagement with the French Impressionists, developed a unique visual language centered on the domestic life of the United States.

This piece demonstrates Cassatt's dedication to printmaking, a medium she pursued aggressively after 1879 under the guidance of Edgar Degas. She played a key role in revitalizing the status of prints in late 19th-century art, treating them not as reproductions but as original works of art. The quality of the paper and the careful execution underscore the technical sophistication Cassatt brought to the graphic arts. This pivotal work is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, providing scholars a detailed view into Cassatt’s process before her famous color prints of the 1890s. Today, digital reproductions of important works such as this are often shared within the public domain for study and education.