The Visitor
1880
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1880
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Visitor is a 1880 ink by Mary Cassatt, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a woman sitting alone in a dim room, her back to us. She’s hunched over, holding a small object—maybe a book or a fan—close to her face. The walls behind her are covered in heavy, dark wallpaper with a repeating pattern, and the light comes from a window on the right, casting a soft glow. The artist used a rough, scratchy style, almost like scribbling, to show the texture of her clothes and the wall. This wasn’t painted—it was etched into the paper, which is why the lines look so sharp and uneven. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this create prints with acid and needles.
