Mary Cassatt — Afternoon Tea Party

Two women, a tea service in blue, and gold added by hand on top of the print.

The document

A visitor in a dark bonnet holds her cup while the hostess passes the plate; on the table between them a service in deep blue. This is the sheet where Cassatt went furthest past the press: on this impression she added brushwork and gold by hand on top of the printed sheet. Because she inked every plate herself before each pull, no two impressions in the edition are the same — and this one carries work that exists on no other.

The pencil at the bottom. Under the plate mark, in Cassatt's own hand: Imprimée par l'artiste et M. Leroy — Mary Cassatt — (25 épreuves). Printed by the artist and M. Leroy, twenty-five impressions. The Japanese sheets she had been studying carried the printer's name beside the artist's, and she did the same. It is reproduced here because it is part of the object.

About the artist

Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, and spent her working life in France. She was the only American invited to exhibit with the Impressionists. In April 1890 she saw an exhibition of 725 Japanese prints at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, wrote to Berthe Morisot telling her not to miss it, and spent the following year teaching herself to do in copper what she had seen done in woodblock. She printed the results herself, at the press, alongside a professional printer, and signed each sheet in pencil.

The print

Printed to order and made to last. Choose Museum Matte (heavyweight matte art paper) or Fine Art Giclée (Hahnemühle cotton paper — the archival standard). The Métrica museum caption — artist, title, date and source — is printed as part of the piece, set in our house type. Free US shipping on orders over $75.

Mary Cassatt, Afternoon Tea Party, colour aquatint and drypoint, with additions in brush and gold, 1890–91. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1932.1285. Public domain.