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In the Opera Box (No. 3) [recto]

Mary Cassatt

1880

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

In the Opera Box (No. 3) [recto] is a 1880 graphite by Mary Cassatt, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Mary Cassatt
When & what style?: 1880 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This quick sketch shows a woman sitting in an opera box. She’s wearing a fancy hat and a dark dress, looking off to the side with a slight smile. The background is just a few quick lines for the theater seats and walls—no detail, just shapes. The artist used loose, sketchy lines to capture her face and clothes, leaving lots of the paper blank. It looks like they were working fast, maybe even doodling ideas while sitting in the theater. If you like this style, check out Impressionism for more loose, sketchy art.