The Child's Bath


The Child's Bath, 1893
Mary Cassatt, American, 1844-1926
Oil on canvas, 100.3 x 66.1 cm (39 1/2 x 26 in. )
Signed lower left: "Mary Cassatt"
Robert A. Waller Fund, Art Institute of Chicago #1910.2

(From info card)
"In this work, Mary Cassatt addressed the theme for which she is best known - women and children - while also experimenting with elements derived from Japanese art. In 1890, after viewing a large exhibition of Japanese prints at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, she produced a series of prints influenced by their aesthetics. The Child's Bath is a culmination of these works, which emphasize decorative pattern and a flattened picture plane. Moreover, the subject mirrors that of many Japanese prints, which capture intimate scenes of everyday life. In Cassatt's painting, the mother's encircling arms and gentle touch convey an overall feeling of protection and tenderness."