The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 20, 2024

The Letter (recto)

The Letter (recto)

1890–1891
(American, 1844–1926)
America, 19th century
black crayon and graphite
Sheet: 34.6 x 23 cm (13 5/8 x 9 1/16 in.)
Bequest of Charles T. Brooks 1941.86.a
Location: not on view

Description

In this study for the color drypoint and aquatint of the same title, Cassatt worked out the placement of the figure at a writing table. Details such as the precise incline of her head, the curls on her forehead, and the position of her fingers on the envelope are echoed in the print.
  • Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris (according to Breeskin 1970, under no. 805); Charles T. Brooks.
  • Mathews, Nancy Mowll, Mary Cassatt, and Barbara Stern Shapiro. Mary Cassatt: The Color Prints. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1989. Reproduced: p. 121, fig. 8-1
    DeGrazia, Diane and Carter E. Foster. Master Drawings from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in association with Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 2000. Mentioned: P. 214-215, 295-296; Reproduced: P. 215, cat. no. 89
    Nash, Julie. "Paper Trail: Navigating NcNicoll's Sketchbooks." In Cassatt - McNicoll: Impressionists Between Worlds, Caroline Shields, ed.,117-137. Toronto, Ontario: Art Gallery of Ontario; Fredericton, New Brunswick: Goose Lane Editions, 2023. Reproduced: P. 132
  • Mary Cassatt and the Feminine Ideal in Nineteenth-Century Paris. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (October 14, 2012-January 20, 2013).
    Master Drawings from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 27-October 17, 2000); The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY (May 23-August 19, 2001); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, TX (October 14, 2001-January 6, 2002).
    Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 7, 1993-January 2, 1994).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (November 1, 1993-January 2, 1994) - Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot, no cat.
    Mary Cassatt: The Color Prints. National Gallery of Art, Landover, MD (organizer) (June 18-August 27, 1989); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, MA (September 8-November 5, 1989); Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA (November 25, 1989-January 21, 1990).
  • {{cite web|title=The Letter (recto)|url=false|author=Mary Cassatt|year=1890–1891|access-date=20 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1941.86.a