The Boating Party
1893/1894
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 90 x 117.3 cm (35 7/16 x 46 3/16 in.) framed: 112.1 x 137.8 cm (44 1/8 x 54 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Chester Dale Collection
Accession Number
1963.10.94
Art Historical Context
Mary Cassatt's *The Boating Party* (1893/1894), an oil on canvas measuring 90 x 117.3 cm, captures a serene moment on the water, showcasing the artist's mastery within the Impressionist movement. As an American expatriate in France, Cassatt was a close associate of Edgar Degas and a rare female member of the Impressionists. She often depicted intimate scenes of women and children, infusing everyday life with emotional depth and luminous color. This work stands out for its bold composition, influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints that fascinated the Impressionists. The flattened perspective and ...
About the Artist
Mary Cassatt
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...