Who painted Woman with a Sunflower?

Woman with a Sunflower was painted by Mary Cassatt in c. 1905.

Where can I see Woman with a Sunflower?

Woman with a Sunflower is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Woman with a Sunflower?

Woman with a Sunflower is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Woman with a Sunflower?

Museum-quality prints of Woman with a Sunflower are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Woman with a Sunflower by Mary Cassatt (c. 1905)

Inscription: Inscribed:lower right: Mary Cassatt

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a woman and a young girl, presumably mother and child, gazing together at the child's reflection in a small circular mirror.

The painting depicts a woman and a young girl, presumably mother and child, gazing together at the child's reflection in a small circular mirror. The mother's bright attire contrasts with the child's nudity, which symbolizes innocence and vulnerability. Their linked hand gestures and shared focus on the mirror establish a intimate bond, while the inclusion of a second mirror creates a layered composition of images-within-images.

This framing emphasizes the central theme: the girl's developing feminine identity under maternal guidance. The sunflower prominently featured on the mother's dress carries additional iconographic weight as a symbol of the women's suffrage movement; it was the Kansas state flower and was adopted as an emblem by suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony during their 1867 campaign for voting rights.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas in 1905, Woman with a Sunflower (92.1 × 73.7 cm) exemplifies Cassatt’s signature impressionist handling. The composition centers on a seated woman in a vibrant green dress adorned with a sunflower, holding a lorgnette, while a nude child sits on her lap. Both gaze into a small circular mirror, capturing the child’s reflection; a larger mirror at left reflects the foreground scene, creating layered images within images.

Cassatt’s loose, expressive brushwork and bright palette draw attention to the child’s nudity, symbolizing innocence, while the mother’s illuminated attire and their connecting hand gestures and mirrored gazes emphasize the intimate bond. The sunflower motif carries suffrage symbolism, integrating stylistic and thematic elements.

History & Provenance

Mary Cassatt painted Woman with a Sunflower in 1905. The painting entered the collection of French critic Roger Marx, who placed it on deposit with Durand-Ruel in Paris in 1908. Following Marx’s death, it was sold at his estate sale in May 1914 (no. 15) and acquired by Durand-Ruel for Louisine Waldron Havemeyer of New York.

Havemeyer, a prominent suffragist, included the work in a 1915 exhibition at the Knoedler Gallery to benefit the women’s suffrage campaign. After Havemeyer’s death, the painting was sold at auction in April 1930 (as La Femme au Tournesol) and purchased by Chester Dale. Dale bequeathed it to the National Gallery of Art in 1963.

Since 1963, Woman with a Sunflower has been held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, as a bequest from Chester Dale. The painting was previously owned by Louisine Waldron Havemeyer, who lent it to a landmark 1915 exhibition at the Knoedler Gallery in New York City that raised funds for the woman suffrage campaign. That display, organized by Havemeyer, helped establish the Woman Suffrage Campaign Fund.

The work had earlier been on deposit with Durand-Ruel in Paris (1908) and appeared at the Roger Marx sale in 1914 before entering Havemeyer’s collection.

Context

Painted in 1905, Woman with a Sunflower exemplifies Mary Cassatt's signature subject of mothers and children. The work is notable for its use of mirrors to create a layered composition, which scholars interpret as emphasizing the young girl's developing feminine identity under maternal guidance. The painting also occupied a significant role in the suffrage movement; it was included in a 1915 exhibition at New York's Knoedler Gallery organized by Louisine Havemeyer, with proceeds supporting the Woman Suffrage Campaign Fund.

The sunflower depicted in the painting carries additional symbolic weight as a recognized emblem of the suffrage campaign, further situating the work within its broader feminist and political context.

Legacy

Woman with a Sunflower played a notable role in the women's suffrage movement when it was included in a 1915 exhibition at the Knoedler Gallery organized by Louisine Havemeyer. Entrance fees and pamphlet sales from the show helped establish the Woman Suffrage Campaign Fund. The painting’s sunflower motif, a recognized emblem of the suffrage cause, further linked the work to the fight for women's voting rights.

Since entering the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1963 via Chester Dale's bequest, it has been regularly displayed, reinforcing Cassatt’s reputation as a keen observer of maternal bonds and contributing to scholarly discussions of feminist iconography in early twentieth-century American art.

Overview

Mary Cassatt's 1905 oil on canvas, Woman with a Sunflower, captures an intimate domestic scene. This painting, which features a woman gently holding a sunflower while seated with a young girl, exemplifies Cassatt's characteristic focus on the lives of women and children. It has been part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, DC, since its acquisition in 1963.