Mary Cassatt at the Louvre: The Paintings Gallery

1879–80

Edgar Degas

(French, 1834–1917)

Culture

France, 19th century

Medium

etching, softground etching, aquatint, and drypoint

Support

Cream (3) heavy laid paper

Measurements

Platemark: 30.2 x 12.6 cm (11 7/8 x 4 15/16 in.); Sheet: 36.3 x 26.6 cm (14 5/16 x 10 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1947.459

Catalogue raisonné

Reed & Shapiro 52

State

VII/XX (only known impression of this state)

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

The figure seated in the foreground is believed to be Mary Cassatt's sister, Lydia.

Description

Degas and his friends Mary Cassatt and Camille Pissarro were all experimental printmakers who combined traditional printmaking techniques to create a black and white equivalent for the tonality and varied textures of paintings. They were all so involved in printmaking that in 1879–80 they planned to publish a journal, Le Jour et la nuit (Day and Night), that would contain original etchings. As a printmaker, Degas was ambivalent about when a plate was considered finished. What attracted him to printmaking was the variability. He thoroughly enjoyed reworking, retouching, and transforming plates, often progressing toward more subtle painterly effects.