On a Balcony - Mary Cassatt

Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge in memory of her aunt, Delia Spencer Field

American Art European Art Modern Art Paintings

"On a Balcony" by Mary Cassatt (1878–79) Oil on canvas.

Commentary

"On a Balcony" by Mary Cassatt (1878–79) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather than through narrative alone. T hemes to notice include Impressionism, painting. This piece is held in the source collection's Arts of the Americas collection. Mary Cassatt is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Mary Cassatt (American, 1844–1926). The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. It is associated with the Impressionism period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as painting, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Oil on canvas) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (85.2 × 65.5 cm (33 9/16 × 25 13/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include Impressionism, painting. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/26650

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data