View of Venice

View of Venice, created by Mary Cassatt in 1887, is an exemplary work of American Impressionism rendered in the challenging medium of drypoint. Executed during a period of prolific travel and technical experimentation for the artist, this print captures the lively atmosphere and specific luminosity of the renowned Italian city. Cassatt utilized the drypoint technique, which involves scratching directly into a copper plate with a sharp stylus. This action raises a delicate "burr" of metal that, when wiped with ink, holds the medium and yields characteristic velvety, soft lines when printed, distinguishing it from the cleaner lines produced by etching.

The subject matter focuses on the architectural density and navigable waterways of Venice, departing from the domestic mother-and-child subjects for which Cassatt is often most celebrated. Here, the composition utilizes the foreground’s suggested bustle of boats and canals to lead the viewer’s eye toward the complex, layered forms of the historic architecture beyond. The handling of the drypoint medium allows Cassatt to achieve a delicate modulation of tone and depth, effectively suggesting the interplay of harsh sunlight and reflective shadow across the water and stone facades. This graphic work demonstrates her technical rigor and ability to translate direct observational sketches into sophisticated reproducible prints.

This piece belongs to the critical artistic output produced by Cassatt in the late nineteenth century, falling specifically within the period spanning 1876 to 1900. While she lived and worked primarily in France, her identification as a leading American artist brought a unique, transatlantic perspective to the European Impressionist movement. This commitment to refining the printmaking medium ensured that her work could reach a wider audience. Today, the work is preserved within the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. As a key example of historical American prints from the drypoint revival, the image may occasionally be available through public domain initiatives, furthering scholarship on Cassatt's extensive and varied career.