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The Fitting

Mary Cassatt

1890

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Interior

Dominant colour

The Fitting is a 1890 ink by Mary Cassatt, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Mary Cassatt
When & what style?: 1890 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows three women in a dimly lit room. One woman kneels on a patterned rug, her back to us, while another stands in front of a mirror, adjusting her dress. The third woman, also in the mirror, watches closely. The walls have a faint floral wallpaper, and sunlight streams in through a window, lighting the scene softly. The artist used loose, sketchy lines to capture movement and fabric folds. This was a common way to work in the late 1800s, focusing on everyday moments. Check out etching to see how artists like this made prints with acid and needles.