Portrait of a Woman, 1872 Mary Cassatt, American, 1844-1926 Oil on canvas Signed lower left: "Mary Stevenson Cassatt" Gift of Mr. Robert Badenhop, Dayton Art Institute #1955.67

(From info card) "This portrait by Mary Cassatt reflects the influence of Italian Baroque painting on her early work, such as the golden light, earthy color paletter, and the figure's robust proportions. Painted while studying art in Parma, Italy, the style differs from her later Japanese-print inspired work, in which the forms are more linear and the space in which they appear becomes more flattened. The woman in this early work is volumetric. Cassatt carefully articulates the fullness of the woman's body and the gentle slope of her shoulders. Throughout Cassatt's artistic career, she depicted women and children affectionately and compassionately."

Prehaps the writing after the artist's signature reveals who the lady is. I'm not able to decipher it, however. Photos © Joan Ann Lansberry 2019