The Loge [verso]

The Loge [verso] by Mary Cassatt, created in 1882, is a crucial example of the artist’s prolific experimentation with line and tone. Classified as a drawing, this piece was rendered using transferred softground with graphite, a hybrid technique that showcases Cassatt’s ongoing interest in printmaking during the decade of the 1880s. The softground method allowed the artist to achieve a nuanced, textured line quality, bridging the gap between direct sketching and formalized etching, which she then enhanced with the precise application of graphite.

Cassatt, a key figure among expatriate American artists, moved decisively away from academic constraints after joining the Impressionist group in Paris. This work originates from a fertile period in her career, specifically within the 1876 to 1900 epoch, during which she frequently documented subjects related to modern feminine life and private observation. The designation "[verso]" suggests that this particular sheet may be a preparatory study or a proof, perhaps relating to the final compositions where women are depicted watching or being watched in theater boxes, a recurring theme in her oeuvre.

This drawing demonstrates Cassatt’s skillful draftsmanship and her mastery of light and shadow, relying on subtle variations in density to imply form and depth. Such preparatory studies were vital to her larger body of graphic work, including her celebrated series of colored drypoint prints. As a seminal piece of American graphic art from the late nineteenth century, the work resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its historical significance, high-quality archival prints of this important drawing are often available for study, frequently through digitized resources provided by the NGA, ensuring its accessibility under the public domain framework.