Woman with a Red Zinnia

Woman with a Red Zinnia is a significant oil on canvas painting created by the American artist Mary Cassatt in 1891. This work exemplifies the artist's intense focus on intimate domestic subjects, particularly the sophisticated portrayal of women and children, a central theme throughout her celebrated career. Dating squarely within the period of 1876 to 1900, the painting captures a moment when Cassatt, working primarily in France, solidified her reputation as a leading exponent of international Impressionism.

In this portrait, Cassatt focuses on a single, seated female figure who prominently holds the vivid red zinnia. The composition is marked by directness and formal economy; the figure fills the frame, while the background remains simplified, drawing immediate attention to the subject’s expression and the flower. Unlike the fragmented light and brushwork found in earlier Impressionistic canvases, the application of paint in this piece shows a greater solidity of form and delineation. This development indicates the artist’s gradual shift toward a more structured, almost Post-Impressionist aesthetic during the 1890s, where clarity of line and form took precedence. The subject’s controlled posture and steady gaze lend an emotional interiority and dignity typical of Cassatt’s mature style.

As an American painter deeply embedded in the Parisian avant-garde, Cassatt’s sensitive and psychologically acute portrayals of modern femininity made her work highly sought after internationally. This important painting from the late 19th century is classified as a core example of American cultural production from that transformative era. The work currently resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering essential insight into the artist’s technical proficiency in oil on canvas. Due to the widespread recognition and historical value of such masterpieces, high-quality prints of the artwork are frequently accessed by collectors and researchers utilizing public domain resources.