Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt. It dates from 1887 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
X,' curatorial research suggests the subject is likely Mathilde Valet, who served as Mary Cassatt's housekeeper, maid, and companion.
Executed in 1887, this oil painting portrays an elderly woman, identified in early sale records as an 'Etude de femme âgée' (Study of an Old Woman) wearing a hat with a pink flower. While the sitter was originally listed anonymously as 'Mlle. X,' curatorial research suggests the subject is likely Mathilde Valet, who served as Mary Cassatt's housekeeper, maid, and companion. Handwritten annotations in a sale catalogue and correspondence from Cassatt's niece confirm Valet's close relationship with the artist and her inheritance of Cassatt's studio, though the niece could not definitively identify the specific sitter.
The work functions as a character study rather than a formal commission, capturing the domestic intimacy between the artist and her long-time household employee through a direct, unidealized depiction of aging.
Technique & Style
Mary Cassatt's Portrait of a Lady (1887) is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, measuring 72.9 cm in height and 60.3 cm in width. The work is classified as a portrait depicting an elderly woman, characterized by the artist's handling of oil mediums to capture the sitter's features. The painting was created in 1887 and remains in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having been bequeathed by Chester Dale in 1963.
While the specific brushwork techniques are not detailed in the provided records, the medium of oil on canvas was the standard vehicle for Cassatt's portraiture during this period, allowing for the formal representation of the subject identified in the 1927 sale as an 'old woman' study.
History & Provenance
Mary Cassatt painted Portrait of a Lady in 1887 in oil on canvas. The work originally belonged to the artist's housekeeper, Mathilde Valet, who is thought to be the probable "Mademoiselle X" of the sale title. Cassatt reportedly left her atelier to Valet, and Valet sold it a year later at auction.
The painting appeared as Etude de femme âgée: chapeau à fleur rose (lot 63) at the Vente-Collection Mlle. X sale at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris on 30 March 1927. Chester Dale (1883–1962) of New York purchased the work at that sale. Dale bequeathed it in 1963 to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it remains in the collection.
The painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Its provenance traces from a sale at Hôtel Drouot in Paris on March 30, 1927, where it was listed as lot 63 under the title Etude de femme âgée: chapeau à fleur rose. The work was purchased from this auction by Chester Dale of New York. Upon Dale's death in 1962, the portrait entered the National Gallery of Art through his bequest in 1963.
While the sale catalog identified the sitter only as "Mlle. X," curatorial notes suggest this was likely Mathilde Valet, the artist's housekeeper. The provided sources detail the work's ownership history and current location but do not list specific public exhibitions.
Overview
Mary Cassatt's "Portrait of a Lady," an oil on canvas created around 1887, features an elderly woman. This painting aligns with the Impressionist movement, a style Cassatt embraced during her extensive career in France. As an American expatriate, she became a notable figure among the Impressionists, frequently depicting the lives of women with a discerning eye and a focus on their personal worlds.
Context
Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Mary Cassatt spent the majority of her adult life in France, where she integrated into the avant-garde art scene. Her close association with Edgar Degas and her regular participation in Impressionist exhibitions established her as a key member of the group. Cassatt's artistic output consistently explored the social and private lives of women, often highlighting the nuanced relationships between mothers and their children.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Mary Stevenson Cassatt (; May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker.
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