Woman Bathing

Woman Bathing is a masterful print created by Mary Cassatt between 1890 and 1891. This distinctive work is classified as a Print, executed using a complex, multi-stage process involving color drypoint, softground etching, and aquatint applied to laid paper. Cassatt, an American artist based primarily in France, became renowned for mastering these sophisticated graphic processes, often drawing profound inspiration from Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The delicate registration and nuanced application of color demonstrate her technical dedication to elevating the status of color prints within the fine art world during the influential period of 1876 to 1900.

The subject matter focuses on an intimate and private moment, depicting a woman attending to her hygiene, a common theme known as the toilette. This focus reflects Cassatt’s long-standing dedication to illustrating the everyday lives of women and children. Unlike the more narrative or sentimental interpretations often favored by her contemporaries, Cassatt approached these figures with objective observation and empathy, providing a modern view of domesticity. The influence of Japanese design is highly evident in the flattened perspective, the strong linear outlines achieved through the drypoint method, and the bold, asymmetrical composition, which rejects traditional Western spatial conventions. This emphasis on innovative graphic design placed Cassatt at the forefront of the fin-de-siècle art world, marking her as a crucial figure in the history of American Impressionism.

Cassatt produced a highly celebrated series of domestic prints, including Woman Bathing, that are widely regarded as among her most significant artistic achievements. These works secured her international reputation, celebrated for both their technical brilliance and their modern sensibility. This quintessential example of late nineteenth-century graphic art is part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. These established historic prints are frequently studied by artists and historians alike, and high-resolution versions are often made available by institutions dedicated to expanding access to cultural heritage through the public domain.