Mr. and Mrs. Cassatt Reading

Art Historical Context

Mary Cassatt’s “Mr. and Mrs. Cassatt Reading” offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s own family life. Created around 1882, the soft-ground etching depicts her parents absorbed in books, their quiet domestic moment rendered with remarkable tenderness and economy of line. Cassatt, one of the few American artists to exhibit with the French Impressionists, frequently turned to family subjects, using everyday scenes to explore themes of concentration, companionship, and private reflection. The choice of medium is central to the work’s appeal. Soft-ground etching allowed Cassatt to achieve the soft, velvety textures and varied tonal effects more commonly associated with drawing or pastel. By working directly on textured paper laid over the etching plate, she captured the subtle play of light across clothing and furniture while preserving the spontaneity of a sketch. This printmaking technique reflects her broader experimentation during the early 1880s, when she pushed the boundaries of traditional etching to convey modern life with greater immediacy. Now part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s renowned collection of prints and drawings, the work exemplifies Cassatt’s ability to elevate ordinary moments into enduring images of quiet dignity and shared humanity.

About the Artist

Mary Cassatt · 1844–1926

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an American painter and printmaker who became the only American artist to exhibit with the French Impressionists. Born to a wealthy Pennsylvania family, she defied social conventions to pursue art professionally, settling permanently in Paris where Edgar Degas invited her to join the Impressionist group in 1877. Her paintings of mothers and children—rendered with Impre...