Mêre et enfant

About this artwork

Mary Cassatt's *Mêre et enfant* ( and Child), created around 1889, is a soft-ground etching measuring 219 mm high by 140 mm wide. As an American Impressionist who spent much of her career in, Cassatt was renowned for her intimate portrayals of women and children in everyday domestic scenes. This small-scale print exemplifies her fascination with motherhood, a recurring theme that challenged traditional gender roles by elevating private moments to subjects worthy of fine art. Soft-ground etching, a technique Cassatt mastered in the 1880s, allowed her to achieve fluid, drawing-like lines with a painterly softness, often combined with drypoint for texture. Influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints introduced at the 1889 Paris World's Fair, she experimented boldly with this medium, producing innovative color etchings that bridged painting and printmaking. *Mêre et enfant* captures the quiet bond between mother and child, reflecting late 19th-century shifts toward celebrating familial intimacy amid rapid social changes. This work highlights Cassatt's role in the Impressionist circle, where she was one of few women featured in exhibitions alongside Degas and Monet. Its modest dimensions invite close viewing, drawing visitors into a world of gentle affection and artistic innovation.