Cassatt, Mary (1844-1926)
Woman on a Striped Sofa with a Dog
1876
Oil on wood panel, 41.9 x 33.3 cm
Fogg Museum, Cambridge, MA
After studying in the United States and traveling throughout Europe, Cassatt settled in Paris in 1874. This work dates to a transitional period in her career, when she was still seeking official recognition from the French Academy. The deep-red wall behind the sitter can be considered part of that effort, as this work was painted in the same year that another of Cassatt’s works was finally accepted to the Salon, after she darkened its background. Three years later, at the invitation of Edgar Degas, Cassatt began exhibiting with the impressionists. She was one of three women and the only American in the group.
Cassatt frequently painted domestic scenes such as this one. The charming composition recalls eighteenth-century precedents, while the broad, sketchy brushstrokes highlight the artist’s divergence from traditional painting practices. (Fogg)