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Eddy Cassatt (Edward Buchanan Cassatt) by Cassatt, Mary

Cassatt, Mary · 1875

Mary Cassatt's 1875 oil painting, Eddy Cassatt, depicts her young nephew alongside a shaggy gray terrier, capturing a moment of childhood intimacy with a then-radical blend of styles.

Notice the careful detail in Eddy's burgundy velvet suit, rendered with precise brushwork. Now look at the dog, painted with a much looser, more energetic hand. This daring contrast in technique was a bold move for its time, showing Cassatt's willingness to break with convention.

Cassatt, an American painter who spent most of her adult life in France, would soon become a prominent figure among the Impressionists. This portrait, with its dual approach to realism and spontaneity, marks a key moment in her artistic development, signaling the expressive freedom that would define her later works and contribute to her fame.

What do you notice first, the boy or the dog?

Details

The boy, Eddy Cassatt, was the painter's nephew.
The boy, Eddy Cassatt, was the painter's nephew.
He wears a burgundy velvet suit, carefully rendered.
He wears a burgundy velvet suit, carefully rendered.
But the loose brushwork on the dog was radical.
But the loose brushwork on the dog was radical.
The painter used two different styles in one canvas.
The painter used two different styles in one canvas.
This freedom made Mary Cassatt famous.
This freedom made Mary Cassatt famous.
Transcript

This portrait of a boy and his dog looks natural. The boy, Eddy Cassatt, was the painter's nephew. He wears a burgundy velvet suit, carefully rendered. But the loose brushwork on the dog was radical. The painter used two different styles in one canvas. This freedom made Mary Cassatt famous.