Press Release - Mona Bismarck | American Center

PRESS RELEASE
PR
Agence Catherine Dantan
Marie Decap
7, rue Charles V - 75004 Paris
Phone: 01 40 21 05 15
Email: marie@catherine-dantan.fr
www.catherine-dantan.fr

CONTENTS
P 3 - Press Release
P 5 - Interview with Eddie McDonnell, Executive Director of the MBAC
P 7 - Mary Cassatt, an American Woman in Paris
P 8 - The Challenge of Printmaking
- The Printmaker's "Kitchen"
- The Japanese Influence
- The Pastel Counterproofs
P 10 - History of a Collection
P 11 - Chronology
P 13 - Mary Cassatt's Primary Printing Techniques
P 14 - Images Available for the Press
P 17 - List of Exhibited Works
P 24 - Programs Accompanying the Exhibition
P 26 - Useful Information
2

PRESS RELEASE
A dynamic new place for American culture has come to life on 34 avenue de New York: the
Mona Bismarck American Center for art & culture (MBAC) whose mission is to strengthen the
friendship between France and the United States through an exciting and eclectic
programming.
First up, from September 26, 2012 to January 20, 2013, is Mary Cassatt
in Paris: Prints & Drawings from the Ambroise Vollard Collection. This
exhibition will reveal an important aspect of the works on paper by the
American artist in France, whose remarkably modern character so
struck Ambroise Vollard that he acquired the majority of her personal
studio collection. These works remained in his possession until his
death in 1939, when they were purchased by the dealer-collector Henri
Petiet. In 2000, a significant portion of these treasures was brought to
light by Marc Rosen and Warren Adelson in an exhibition at the Adelson
Galleries in New York. Art in the Mirror: The Counterproofs of Mary
Cassatt, also held in the Adelson Galleries in 2004, highlighted Mary
Cassatt’s unique experimentation with the counterproof technique and displayed her never-beforeseen
work in the medium. Thanks to this new show at the MBAC, Paris will now enjoy this
phenomenal collection of Mary Cassatt’s prints.
This exhibition will present 67 works, including engravings, aquatints,
pastel counterproofs, and preparatory drawings that shed light on the
various steps of the artist’s creative process. The 15 exceptional
pastel counterproofs, with their experimental character, testify to the
talent and originality of Mary Cassatt. These inverted reproductions
were achieved by pressing a damp piece of Japanese paper against a
pastel before running it through a press. More abstract than the
original pastel, the resulting imprints were often the source of new
inspiration.
Displayed thematically in the three galleries of the MBAC, the first
gallery will introduce the artist overall, the second gallery will highlight the different printmaking
techniques she utilized in general and the Japanese influence on her prints in particular, and the third
gallery will focus on the pastel counterproofs.
3

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) moved to Paris in 1874 and exhibited with the Impressionists
starting in 1880. She soon developed a friendship with Edgar Degas that would last a lifetime
and, along with Berthe Morisot, was the first woman to be embraced by an artistic group.
Ambroise Vollard, renowned for his taste in graphic arts, recognized very early on the
extraordinary technical quality of her prints and the modern aesthetic of her work.
The Mona Bismarck American Center for art & culture offers a glimpse
into the American spirit through exhibitions of authentic, emblematic
American artists, too often less known in France. The Wyeths, for
example, who were the subject of the MBAC’s previous exhibition, and
now this coming fall season Mary Cassatt, who established her career as
an artist in Paris. Through her work and commitment, she created new
channels of exchange between France and the United States, serving as a
crucial intermediary in the American art market.
A new magnet center for American art and culture in Paris, the MBAC
offers an array of programs to accompany the upcoming exhibition:
educational activities (for children and adults), as well as a cycle of conferences and concerts related
to Mary Cassatt. These will take place during the day and in the evening during the week as well as
on weekends.
In addition, The MONA Café will open its doors on the ground floor with a view of a beautiful
private garden. The décor will pay homage to Mona Bismarck, a patron with unrivaled
elegance. Visitors will be able to enjoy some American specialties while surrounded by images
of MBAC’s extraordinary founder. The café will be open to the public between 11 AM and 6
PM.
4

INTERVIEW WITH EDDIE MCDONNELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MBAC
The name of the Mona Bismarck Foundation changed in December 2011. You are now the Director
of the Mona Bismarck American Center for art & culture. What are your goals?
We have fundamentally the same goal as we did before, that is strengthening the friendship
between France and the United States through art and culture; however, with regard to the way and
the means we will employ to achieve this goal, we are making a number of changes in order to
become more dynamic.
What do you anticipate in terms of activities?
We are focusing on four programs: Exhibitions, Events, Education, and Community. In terms of art,
we want to highlight important artists in America who may not be as well-known in France: such was
the case with our last exhibition of the Wyeth family, notably Andrew Wyeth, a major American
painter of the 20th century who was even elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in France. It is also
the case of Mary Cassatt, an iconic artist in the United States who is less well-known in France even
though she lived in Paris and was part of the French Impressionist movement. We are planning two
exhibitions per year that will range from printmaking, textiles and photography to painting, drawing
and sculpture. Each show will present opportunities for unique events, conferences, guided tours,
children's workshops and concerts.
Do you anticipate musical programs?
Indeed. We intend to showcase young talent, often American, for intimate concerts that attract 50-
60 people in our townhouse. This spring we tested the idea of mini-concerts in our salons and the
results were very positive. We are also exploring a jazz program.
And educational programs?
This coming fall, we will begin our first round of educational programming through partnerships with
experienced instructors. There will be children’s theater and art classes taught in English, as well as
drawing courses for adults in English, enabling visitors to actively engage in American culture and
language. In light of the Mary Cassatt exhibition, we will also organize workshops about printmaking
techniques. We will continue to reach out to schools offering visits to our galleries for students along
with their teachers.
Will all of these activities take place at 34 avenue de New York?
Yes! Just a few steps from the Palais de Tokyo, on the banks of the Seine and across from the Musée
du Quai Branly and the Eiffel Tower. We recently reorganized our building to free up the elegant
rooms on the first floor for a variety of activities. In addition, we are pleased to announce that The
MONA Café will open its doors on the ground floor with a view of our beautiful private garden. The
decor will be in homage to our founder Mona Bismarck, an exceptionally elegant woman. The café
will be open from 11 am to 6 pm.
What do you hope for the years to come?
Our goal is to become a reference point for American culture in Paris. We believe there is a need for
a place to act as a magnet center that is accessible to all and for that we are fortunate to have some
real advantages. The fact that we are an entirely private institution that relies on the support of our
patrons allows us a great deal of flexibility in our choice of programming. We are also lucky to be
located within such a high concentration of major cultural institutions like the Palais de Tokyo, the
5

Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée Galliera, the Musée Guimet, the Cité
d'Architecture, and the Musée du Quai Branly. In addition, the city of Paris is currently taking
measures to make our neighborhood more conducive to foot traffic, so our area should attract even
more people and help us to create synergies with our neighboring institutions. In short, all of this
should help to revive the sleeping beauty of avenue de New York!
6

AN AMERICAN WOMAN IN PARIS
It was not easy to be a female artist during the Third Republic, even less so a foreign one at that.
When Mary Cassatt moved to Paris in 1874, memories of the Franco-Prussian war and the Paris
Commune were still quite vivid. The surrounding aesthetic was largely academic and nationalistic.
Thus, when Cassatt presented the color prints that made her famous at the Peintres-Graveurs
exhibition in 1891, it was in a separate room specifically for foreigners.
The biases against women’s artistic abilities were strong in France, where women were only
accepted as amateurs or watercolor painters. Despite the strikes against her, Mary Cassatt was one
of only three women, and the only American, to exhibit with the Impressionists. Degas had noticed
her at the 1874 Salon and invited her to exhibit with the Impressionists in 1877. She accepted and
exhibited regularly with them from 1879 to 1886.
Like Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt knew how to maintain her place as a painter and printmaker
among the Impressionists. Throughout her career, which was almost exclusively outside of the
United States, she sought to depict women in their social functions: at the theater, having tea, with
their children and in their daily activities, without sentimentality or idealism. She used her friends
and family members as models: often her sister Lydia and her mother.
She was also a valued adviser to American collectors, especially to her childhood friend Louisine
Havemeyer. In 1929, Cassatt was instrumental in her friend’s acquisitions of Degas and Manet, quite
notable as her collection was ultimately given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Indeed, Mary Cassatt played an important role in bringing Impressionism to the United Sates. One of
her art dealers, Durand-Ruel, organized a huge Impressionist exhibition in New York in 1886, which
also helped to establish the movement in North America.
At the end of her life, Mary Cassatt was recognized as an artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was
praised as one of the major figures of her time. She was truly a Modern Woman (title of her nowmissing
mural that was exhibited at the Universal Exposition in Chicago in 1893), who worked to
obtain the right to vote for women in the United States.
7

THE CHALLENGE OF PRINTMAKING
Organized thematically, this exhibition is displayed in the three galleries of the MBAC. The first
gallery introduces the artist, her favorite models and the different printmaking techniques she
employed. The second gallery illustrates the Japanese influence on Cassatt’s work, and the third
shows her pastel counterproofs. The Vollard collection includes multiple different states of prints,
which gives visitors a unique opportunity to follow the step-by-step development and evolution of
her works.
1 - The Printmaker’s "Kitchen"
In the 1870s, printmaking was considered a "minor" art, especially because of its reproducible
nature. Mary Cassatt, however, saw in it a tool of research with untapped potential. Thus, she
devoted herself diligently to the many possibilities of the medium, which played a major role in her
work. Her career as a printmaker really began in 1879 when she accepted an invitation from Degas to
join the Impressionist group in their fourth exhibition. Before then, she had only tried etching and
had not yet approached color sequences.
Cassatt’s first prints were made in 1879-80; they are accompanied in the exhibition by preparatory
drawings and show a strong desire for experimentation. The main themes of these works are:
theatre (for instance In the Opera Box or Two Young Ladies in a Loge, Facing Right), domestic life
(Mrs. Cassatt Reading to her Grandchildren, Before the Fireplace, or Lydia at Afternoon Tea), family
scenes and upper-class daily activities. Unlike traditional printmaking, Mary Cassatt did not try to
define figures but rather to suggest their moods through the manipulation of shadow and light.
Indeed, the artist would often trace from a sheet of paper onto the copper plate so that the
freshness of her inspiration would show through.
In 1889, after several years of creating only a few prints, she started working in drypoint and
produced an important body of work, including Quietude and The Caress. Many of these drypoints
consist of a mostly bare surface covered by an inked veil that creates an atmosphere. Others, such as
The Mandolin Player and Tea, are more finished and demonstrate a more complete means of
pictorial expression.
2 - The Japanese Influence
Mary Cassatt refined her techniques in soft ground etching and aquatint in order to combine and mix
them in more ambitious color prints: a new direction she took after visiting the 1890 exhibition of
Japanese woodblock prints at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris (with Berthe Morisot). The “set of
ten” color prints that resulted were exhibited at Durand-Ruel's gallery in April 1891. Degas and
Pissarro did not hide their admiration for these prints that revealed, in a way, the very steps of
Cassatt’s creative process.
Mary Cassatt appropriated the Japanese aesthetic and recreated it in European terms: the courtesan
thus became a modern European woman depicted scenes of her daily life. Not wishing to merely
imitate, Cassatt chose to work on copper plates rather than woodblock, devising an entirely new
method of color printing, the genesis of which can be seen in the different states of The Bath. The
different hues of the intermediate states, which vary from the final picture, are proof of the many
variations in her process.
8

3 - The Pastel Counterproofs
The thrill of this exhibition is also in the discovery of an exceptional group of 15 pastel counterproofs:
a medium in which Mary Cassatt excelled and which exemplifies the experimental and thoroughly
modern nature of her work. The counterproofs have received little attention to date – apart from the
2004 Art in a Mirror: The Counterproofs of Mary Cassatt exhibition at the Adelson Galleries. Indeed,
Degas's counterproofs in charcoal and pastel have been studied before, but not Mary Cassatt's.
Today, thanks to this show, this oversight is rectified.
A counterproof is a technique that reproduces a drawing or print. The method was often used in the
18 th century, by artists such as Boucher and Fragonard, but disappeared in the early 19 th century with
Romanticism – which favored a more "solid" aesthetic as found in oil paintings. At the end of the 19 th
century, the light and evanescent quality of pastels and the airy colors that the counterproofs create
attracted artists once again, particularly those focusing on the ephemeral and ethereal.
To create a counterproof, an original drawing as well as a thin dampened piece of paper, laid over
the drawing, are passed through a printing press. Some of the excess drawing material from the
original adheres to the new page. Thus the reproduction obtained is softened and reversed, as in
Head of Adele, Peasant Mother and Child, and Sara Wearing a Bonnet and Coat. The counterproof
reproduces the picture with a slightly more mysterious appearance, more brushed than printed,
sparking the imagination with its unfinished quality.
9

HISTORY OF A COLLECTION
Mary Cassatt kept all of her prints, related drawings and working proofs – traces of the different
states of her printmaking process. During the realization of a plate, from one change to another,
throughout the successive “bites,” she would make one or several proofs from a plate to appreciate
the result. These intermediary proofs, usually only a few in number, were then much more rare than
the final prints. Indeed, they were the artist’s sketches and comprise part of her creative process.
Mary Cassatt had gathered quite a vast body of prints when she decided to sell them to Ambroise
Vollard. Every step of her career was represented, from her first etchings of 1870 to her 1890s color
sets. Overall, the studio collection consisted of approximately 300 prints, drawings and
counterproofs, most of which would probably be missing today if Vollard had not kept them so
carefully.
More than twenty years separated Mary Cassatt and Ambroise Vollard (1866-1939). Born in 1866 in
La Réunion, Vollard left his native island for metropolitan France where he studied law and cultivated
his passion for art, which led him to open his own gallery in 1893.
He met Mary Cassatt in the 1890s when she was still under contract with Durand-Ruel. The art dealer
was immediately struck by the modernity and vitality of her work on paper, and by the impressions
of the many different states of her prints. Passionate for the graphic arts, Vollard worked hard to
convince the greatest artists of his time to pursue printmaking as a major activity.
His first significant deal with Cassatt dates to 1906 when Vollard went to the artist's country house in
Mesnil-Théribus, Oise. At this time, he was also working with very avant-garde artists: for instance
the first Pablo Picasso exhibition in Paris took place at his gallery, when Picasso was only 19.
Later in his career, Vollard purchased Mary Cassatt's collection of prints and drawings, most of which
had never been exhibited. These works remained in his possession until his death in 1939. Vollard
was known for buying entire studio collections from a given artist at once, and everything he bought
or published was eventually the subject of a sale. He sold many of the pastels and paintings he had
bought from Cassatt, but he kept her prints – perhaps the joy of owning them surpassed any idea of
profit.
The “studio collection,” from which the works included in this exhibition come, upon Vollard’s death
in 1939, was bought by the art dealer and collector Henri Petiet. Petiet placed a few of Cassatt's
works in the best American museums - among them the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. - so that the artist would be recognized in her native
country. The rest of the collection remained quite unknown (except to a few lucky connoisseurs).
In 2000, part of this trove was at last revealed to the public by Marc Rosen Fine Art at the Adelson
Galleries in New York. In 2004 another aspect of Mary Cassatt's experimentation was unveiled at the
same place in the exhibition Art in a Mirror: The Counterproofs of Mary Cassatt, which presented her
pastel counterproofs for the first time. In 2008, a third part of the collection was displayed at the
gallery. This exhibition marks the first time the collection is shown in Europe.
10

CHRONOLOGY
1844: Mary Cassatt was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in a wealthy family. She spent her childhood
in Germany, and then France.
1865: She left for Europe after studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
1866: In Paris, she studied with Charles Chaplin and Jean-Léon Gérôme.
1868: She presented a work at the Paris Salon, La Mandoline.
1870-71: Mary Cassatt returned to Pennsylvania during the Franco-Prussian War. Afterwards, she
resumed her studies in Europe, in Parma, Rome, Anvers and Spain, before settling in Paris.
1877: Mary Cassatt met Edgar Degas who invited her to join the Impressionist group. She accepted
and exhibited with them from 1879 until their last exhibition in 1886. At that time, she devoted
herself more and more to printmaking.
1880: At the Impressionist exhibition, Cassatt exhibited eight paintings and pastels as well as eight
etchings. The dealer Durand-Ruel began to buy her works.
1886: Three of her paintings were shown in New York at the first Impressionist exhibition organized
by the dealer Durand-Ruel in the United States.
1889: Mary Cassatt displayed two prints at the Peintres-Graveurs exhibition, the first of a series of
exhibitions dedicated to printing at the Durand-Ruel gallery.
1890: She presented a series of drypoints, aquatints and a pastel at the Peintres-Graveurs exhibition.
In April, she attended the exhibition of Japanese woodblock ukiyo-e prints held at the Ecole des
Beaux-Arts in Paris (with Berthe Morisot), which led her to a new direction in her artistic work.
1891: She finished her famous "set of ten" color prints inspired by the Japanese prints and which is
considered today as one of the greatest works of printed art in the 19 th century. The Lesson was
reproduced on the cover of the first issue of L’Art dans les deux mondes magazine published by
Durand-Ruel to promote his artists. The dealer organized Cassatt’s first solo exhibition in 1891 in
Paris.
1893: Mary Cassatt’s mural, Modern Woman went on view at the Universal Exposition in Chicago in
May. Durand-Ruel held the first retrospective of Cassatt's work at his Paris gallery in December.
1894: She purchased the Château de Beaufresne at Mesnil-Théribus, Oise. During these years, she
continued experimenting with different printmaking techniques.
1896: Mary Cassatt met Ambroise Vollard who sold a painting by Paul Cézanne to her. Vollard and
Durand-Ruel serve as her art dealers and most of her works will be bought in 1939 by another dealer,
Henri Petit, after Vollard’s death in 1939.
1903: At the turn of the century, she exhibited at Durand-Ruel’s gallery and at Ambroise Vollard’s,
who shared her passion for graphic arts. Cassatt’s clients are increasingly those of her native country.
In 1910, she joined the National Academy of Design in New York and was awarded, in 1914, the gold
medal of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
11

1910: She progressively became blind and gave up printmaking.
1915: She participated in a campaign for women’s right to vote in the United States. She gave up
painting.
1926: Mary Cassatt died in Mesnil-Théribus, where she was buried in her family plot.
12

MARY CASSATT'S PRIMARY PRINTING TECHNIQUES
Etching
In etching, the metal is “bitten” by an acid rather than scraped away by a tool. The plate is covered
with a thin layer of hard ground, which is resistant to the acid. The artist sketches on this ground with
a stylus, baring the copper, and the plate is then exposed to an acid bath. The surfaces uncovered by
the stylus are then “bitten,” more or less deeply according to the immersion time. The ground is then
removed and the plate can be inked. Since the acid cuts into the metal itself, there is no issue related
to the resistance of the material. The deeper the lines are, the darker they will be printed.
Drypoint
Drypoint printmaking consists in scratching directly on the metal plate with a sharp steel tool, which
is called a drypoint. This point does not cut a neat groove like a chisel, but scratches and plows the
metal more unevenly. On the edges of each line, the drypoint leaves metal ridges that keep the ink
and give a velvety aspect to the print.
Soft Ground Etching
A variant of the etching process, in which the acid-resistant coating on the plate is relatively soft.
The artist places a preliminary drawing on top of the plate and goes over its lines, pressing the image
into the ground on the plate. The bare surface of the plate is unevenly exposed to the acid,
producing a softer and more tonal line – more like a pencil line. Soft-ground etching is rarely used
alone, but rather combined with other printing techniques.
Aquatint
Aquatint is a further elaboration of the etching process especially suited for shading. Once the basic
lines of the image have been etched into the plate, acid-resistant resin is spread onto the entire
surface of the plate and heated to adhere. The artist can then cover selected areas, so that when the
plate is exposed to acid, only the uncovered areas will be etched, producing fields of tone. This
technique is often used together with etching. It corresponds then to a wash added to an ink
drawing, creating shades and fields of tone. Using multiple colors is complex: it requires going to
press three or four times with a spotting system that allows the colors not to mix on the printed
sheet.
13

IMAGES AVAILABLE FOR THE PRESS
These works are available for the press exclusively in the context of an article promoting the
exhibition: Mary Cassatt in Paris: Prints & Drawings from the Ambroise Vollard Collection, on view
from September 26, 2012 through January 20, 2013 at the Mona Bismarck American Center for art &
culture.
The credit line is mandatory: Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine Art Ltd.
Peasant Mother and Child, c. 1894
Drypoint and aquatint on paper
Plate: 11 3/4 x 9 1/2 inches
Sheet: 17 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
Smiling Sara in a Big Hat Holding Her Dog (No.2),
c. 1901
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper mounted on board
26 1/2 x 20 7/8 inches; 67.31 x 53.02 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
The Fitting, 1890-91
Drypoint and aquatint on paper
Plate: 14 3/4 x 10 1/8 inches; 37.3 x 25.7 cm
Sheet: 18 1/8 x 13 1/2 inches; 46 x 34.3 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
14

Baby with Left Hand Touching a Tub, 1890-91
Pencil and charcoal on off-white wove paper
9 3/8 x 6 7/8 inches; 23.81 x 17.46 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
The Lamp, 1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint, printed in colors on
paper
Plate: 12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 32.1 x 25.2 cm
Sheet: 16 3/4 x 12 3/8 inches; 42.6 x 31.5 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
The Bath, 1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
14 5/8 x 10 7/8 inches; 37.15 x 27.62 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
The Banjo Lesson, c. 1892-93
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
28 1/4 x 23 inches; 71.75 x 58.42 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
15

In the Omnibus, 1890-91
Drypoint and aquatint, printed in colors on paper
14 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches; 36.83 x 26.67 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
Two Ladies in a Loge, Facing Right, 1879-80
Soft-ground etching and aquatint on paper
Plate: 10 7/8 x 8 1/2 inches; 27.6 x 21.6 cm
Sheet: 17 5/8 x 11 inches; 44.8 x 28 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
Drawing for “Lydia end Her Mother at Tea," c. 1881
Soft pencil on paper with soft-ground on the verso
Sheet: 7 5/8 x 11 1/4 inches; 18.8 x 28.6 cm
Courtesy Adelson Galleries, Inc. and Marc Rosen Fine
Art Ltd.
16

LIST OF THE EXHIBITED WORKS
1
Drawing for “At the Dressing Table”
c. 1880
Pencil on paper with soft-ground on the verso
Fold Line: 13 x 8 1/2 inches; 33.3 x 21.7 cm
Sheet: 16 x 12 inches; 40.5 x 30.6 cm
2
At the Dressing Table
1880
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
Plaque: 12 3/4 x 81/8 inches; 32.3 x 20.6 cm
Feuille: 17 x 113 / 4 inches; 43.2 x 30 cm
3
At the Dressing Table
1880
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 12 7/8 x 8 1/4 inches; 32.7 x 20.9 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 14 1/8 x 10 7/8 inches; 35.9 x 27.6 cm
4
At the Dressing Table
1880
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 12 7/8 x 8 1/4 inches; 32.7 x 20.9 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 14 1/8 x 10 7/8 inches; 35.9 x 27.6 cm
5
Two Ladies in a Loge, Facing Right
1879-80
Pencil on paper, with soft-ground on verso
Sheet / Feuille: 14 1/4 x 11 inches; 36.2 x 27.9 cm
6
Two Young Ladies in a Loge, Facing Right
1879-80
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 10 7/8 x 8 1/2 inches; 27.6 x 21.6 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 17 5/8 x 11 inches; 44.8 x 28 cm
7
In the Opera Box (No. 3)
1879-80
Etching and aquatint on medium weight laid paper
Plate / Plaque: 8 1/8 x 7 3/8 inches
Sheet / Feuille: 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches
8
Mrs. Cassatt Reading to her Grandchildren (No. 1)
c. 1880
Soft-ground etching on paper
Plate / Plaque: 6 1/4 x 11 7/8 inches
Sheet / Feuille: 12 1/4 x 17 7/8 inches
9
Before the Fireplace (No. 2)
c. 1882
Soft-ground etching and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 6 3/8 x 8 5/8 inches; 16.2 x 21.8 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 8 x 12 1/8 inches; 20.3 x 30.8 cm
17

10
Drawing for “Before the Fireplace”
c. 1880-82
Pencil on paper
Sheet / Feuille: 7 7/8 x 8 3/4 inches; 20 x 22.2 cm
11
Lydia at Afternoon Tea
1880-82
Soft-ground, aquatint and drypoint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 5 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches; 14 x 22.3 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 7 1/8 x 10 3/4 inches; 18.1 x 27.5 cm
12
Drawing for “Lydia end Her Mother at Tea”
c. 1881
Soft pencil on paper with soft-ground on the verso
Sheet / Feuille: 7 5/8 x 11 1/4 inches; 18.8 x 28.6 cm
13
Lydia and her Mother at Tea
1882
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
7 x 11 inches; 17.78 x 27.94 cm
14
Bill Lying on his Mother's Lap
c. 1889
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
7 x 5 3/8 inches; 17.78 x 13.65 cm
15
Bill Lying on his Mother's Lap
c. 1889
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
7 x 5 3/8 inches; 17.78 x 13.65 cm
16
A Portrait of the Artist's Mother
c. 1889-90
Soft-ground and aquatint on paper
9 7/8 x 7 1/8 inches; 25.08 x 18.1 cm
17
The Mandolin Player
1889-90
Drypoint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 9 3/8 x 6 1/4 inches; 23.7 x 15.9 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 17 1/4 x 10 7/8 inches; 44 x 27.7 cm
18
The Mandolin Player
1889-90
Drypoint on paper
9 3/8 x 6 1/4 inches; 23.81 x 15.88 cm
19
The Mandolin Player
1889-90
Drypoint on paper
9 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches; 23.5 x 15.88 cm
20
Tea
c. 1890
Drypoint on paper
18

7 1/8 x 6 1/8 inches; 18.1 x 15.56 cm
21
Hélène of Septeuil
c. 1890
Drypoint on paper
9 1/4 x 6 1/8 inches; 23.5 x 15.56 cm
22
The Parrot
c. 1891
Drypoint on paper
6 1/4 x 4 3/4 inches; 15.88 x 12.06 cm
23
The Parrot
c. 1891
Drypoint on blue paper
Plate / Plaque : 6 3/8 x 4 3/4 inches; 16.2 x 11.9 cm
Sheet / Feuille : 10 3/8 x 7 3/4 inches; 26.5 x 19.7 cm
24
Quietude
c. 1891
Drypoint on paper
Plate / Plaque : 10 1/4 x 6 7/8 inches
Sheet / Feuille : 13 7/8 x 8 3/8 inches
25
The Caress
c. 1891
Drypoint on paper
Plate / Plaque : 7 3/4 x 5 3/4 inches; 19.6 x 14.7 cm
Sheet / Feuille : 13 5/8 x 8 3/8 inches; 34.8 x 21.4 cm
26
Baby with Left Hand Touching a Tub
1890-91
Pencil and charcoal on off-white wove paper
9 3/8 x 6 7/8 inches; 23.81 x 17.46 cm
27
Drawing for "The Bath"
1890
Graphite and conté crayon on paper
12 1/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 30.8 x 25.08 cm
28
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 32.07 x 25.08 cm
29
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 32.07 x 25.08 cm
30
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 32.07 x 25.08 cm
31
19

The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 32.07 x 25.08 cm
32
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 3/4 inches; 32.07 x 24.76 cm
33
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 3/4 inches; 32.07 x 24.76 cm
34
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 32.07 x 25.08 cm
35
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 1/2 x 9 3/4 inches; 31.75 x 24.76 cm
36
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 1/2 x 9 3/4 inches; 31.75 x 24.76 cm
37
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
12 5/8 x 9 3/4 inches; 32.07 x 24.76 cm
38
The Bath
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
14 5/8 x 10 7/8 inches; 37.15 x 27.62 cm
39
The Fitting
1890-91
Drypoint and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 14 3/4 x 10 1/8 inches; 37.3 x 25.7 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 18 1/8 x 13 1/2 inches; 46 x 34.3 cm
40
The Lamp
1890-91
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint, printed in colors on paper
Plate / Plaque: 12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches; 32.1 x 25.2 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 16 3/4 x 12 3/8 inches; 42.6 x 31.5 cm
41
In the Omnibus
1890-91
20

Drypoint and aquatint, printed in colors on paper
14 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches; 36.83 x 26.67 cm
42
Gathering Fruit
1893
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
16 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches; 41.91 x 29.84 cm
43
Gathering Fruit
1893
Drypoint, soft-ground and aquatint on paper
16 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches
19 5/8 x 15 1/8 inches
44
Peasant Mother and Child
c. 1894
Drypoint and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 11 5/8 x 9 1/2 inches; 29.6 x 24.1 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 18 1/2 x 12 3/8 inches; 46.8 x 31.6 cm
45
Peasant Mother and Child
c. 1894
Drypoint and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 11 3/4 x 9 1/2 inches
Sheet / Feuille: 17 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches
46
The Barefooted Child
1896-97
Drypoint and aquatint, printed in colors on paper
Plate / Plaque: 9 5/8 x 12 5/8 inches; 24.4 x 31.9 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 13 3/4 x 17 inches; 35 x 43.2 cm
47
The Barefooted Child
1896-97
Drypoint and aquatint, printed in colors on paper
9 5/8 x 12 5/8 inches; 24.45 x 32.07 cm
48
By the Pond
c. 1896
Drypoint and aquatint, printed in colors on paper
13 x 16 7/8 inches; 33.02 x 42.86 cm
49
By the Pond
c. 1896
Drypoint and aquatint, printed in colors on paper
Plate / Plaque: 13 x 16 7/8 inches; 33.1 x 42.7 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 17 1/2 x 20 3/8 inches; 44.5 x 51.8 cm
50
Under The Horse-Chestnut Tree
1896-97
Drypoint and aquatint on paper
Plate / Plaque: 15 7/8 x 11 3/8 inches; 40.5 x 28.8 cm
Sheet / Feuille: 19 5/8 x 15 3/8 inches; 50 x 39 cm
51
Céleste and Marjorie
c. 1898
21

Drypoint on paper
11 3/8 x 16 1/8 inches; 28.89 x 40.96 cm
52
The Banjo Lesson
c. 1892-93
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
28 1/4 x 23 inches; 71.75 x 58.42 cm
53
Simone Seated on the Grass Next to Her Mother
c. 1904 [c. 1902]
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
27 7/8 x 23 inches; 70.8 x 58.42 cm
54
Sketch of a Mother Looking Down at Thomas
c. 1894-95
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
20 1/8 x 23 inches; 51.12 x 58.42 cm
55
Head of Simone in a Green Bonnet with Wavy Brim (No. 2)
c. 1904 [c. 1901-03]
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
21 1/2 x 17 5/8 inches; 54.61 x 44.77 cm
56
Girl in a Hat with a Black Ribbon
c. 1902
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
17 3/4 x 21 1/8 inches; 45.08 x 53.66 cm
57
Baby Charles Looking Over His Mother's Shoulder (No. 2)
c. 1900
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
28 x 23 inches; 78 x 58.42 cm
58
Bust Length Sketch of Margot in a Big Hat and a Red Dress
c. 1903
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
23 1/2 x 19 inches; 59.69 x 48.26 cm
59
Study of Margot in a Fluffy Hat
c. 1903-04
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
28 3/8 x 23 1/4 inches; 72.07 x 59.06 cm
60
Study of Margot in a Pale Rose Hat
c. 1903-04
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
23 3/4 x 20 3/4 inches; 60.33 x 52.71 cm
61
Hélène of Septeuil, with a Parrot
c. 1905-15
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
27 1/4 x 20 5/8 inches; 69.21 x 52.39 cm
62
Mother Jeanne Nursing Her Child, Profile Left (No. 3)
[c. 1908]
22

Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
31 1/4 x 25 inches; 79.38 x 63.5 cm
63
Mother and Child
[c. 1908]
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
23 1/2 x 16 3/4 inches; 59.69 x 42.54 cm
64
Mother Holding Red-Haired Child
[c. 1901-02]
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
25 1/8 x 20 5/8 inches; 63.82 x 52.39 cm
65
Sara Wearing a Bonnet and Coat
c. 1902-05
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
24 1/2 x 18 inches; 62.23 x 45.72 cm
66
Head of Adele (No. 3)
1892 [c. 1908-09]
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper
21 1/2 x 18 inches; 54.61 x 45.72 cm
67
Smiling Sara in a Big Hat Holding Her Dog (No.2)
c. 1901
Pastel counterproof on Japan paper mounted on board
26 1/2 x 20 7/8 inches; 67.31 x 53.02 cm
23

PROGRAMS ACCOMPANYING THE EXHIBITION
As a new resource for American culture in Paris, the MBAC also offers a wide variety of programs
accompanying the exhibition: educational activities (for children and adults), as well as a cycle of
conferences and concerts related to Mary Cassatt’s works on paper. These events will take place
during the day and in the evenings, during the week and on weekends, throughout the duration of
the exhibition. For more information or to confirm the times and dates of specific events, please visit
the website at www.monabismarck.org.
LECTURES & TALKS IN FRENCH OR IN ENGLISH
- The Influence of Japan on Mary Cassatt, by Emiko Maeda-Moine on Thursday, September 27
at 6:30 PM, in collaboration with the Maison de la Culture du Japon. Talk in French / 15 € /
rsvp@monabismarck.org.
- Vollard and Cassatt, by Anne Roquebert, Curator of the Musée d’Orsay, on Wednesday,
October 3 at 7 PM. Talk in French / 15 € / rsvp@monabismarck.org.
- Cassatt, Vollard and the New Print, by Maryline Assante di Panzillo, Curator at the Petit
Palais-Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris on Wednesday, October 10 at 7 PM. Talk in
French / 15 € / rsvp@monabismarck.org.
- Cassatt and Degas, by Xavier Rey, Curator at the Musée d’Orsay on Wednesday, October 25
at 7 PM. Talk in French / 15 € / rsvp@monabismarck.org.
- Mary Cassatt: Printmaking Methods and Techniques with Jonathan Shimony, Artist and
Professor at the American University of Paris on Thursday, October 18 at 7 PM. Talk in
English.
- Literary café around theater & Cassatt with Chris Mack, actor, author, director.
CONCERTS
The MBAC is pleased to host a series of concerts promoting American talent, with musical
selections inspired by the works on view in the exhibition.
- Lauren Libaw, Soprano on October 11 at 8 PM
- David Stern’s Opera Fuoco on October 17 at 8 PM
- Jay Gottlieb, Concert-Discussion of American Music from Mary Cassatt’s Time to Today, a
two-part series on November 8 and 15 at 8 PM
as well as:
- 2 concerts by young American Woolley Scholars: a bass player and a saxophonist, in
collaboration with the Fondation des Etats-Unis (Cité internationale universitaire de Paris)
- 2 concerts with Fulbright Scholars (in collaboration with the Franco-American Commission,
which contributes to the friendship and co-operation between France and the United States
through educational exchanges).
- In the context of the Cinéjazz festival, special concert on Sunday November 25 th , together
with an experimental film.
24

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
The MBAC will offer weekly programs for children and adults in connection with the Mary Cassatt
exhibition. Some activities will be directly linked to the exhibited works, others will go beyond the
exhibition.
- Live-Model Drawing Class inspired by the poses in the exhibition, with Artist Jan Olsson, held
on Oct. 11 and 25, Nov. 15 and 29, Jan. 17 from 1-4 PM
- Printmaking workshops based on Mary Cassatt’s techniques with Jonathan Shimony, Artist
and American University of Paris Professor, held on Oct. 13 and Nov. 17 from 1-4 PM
- Susan Harloe, Founding Artistic Director of the Word for Word Theater (based in San
Francisco), will present theater workshops for adults around 19 th -century short stories linked
to the exhibited works, in English.
Activity workbooks will be available for children and families visiting the exhibition.
25

USEFUL INFORMATION
MONA BISMARCK AMERICAN CENTER FOR ART & CULTURE
Exhibition Organization
Eddie McDonnell, Executive Director of the MBAC
Danielle Berger Fortier, Director of Exhibitions and Programs
34, avenue de New York
75116 Paris
Phone. : + 33 (0)1 47 23 38 88
Email. : info@monabismarck.org
Métro : Alma Marceau, Iéna, Trocadéro
Bus : 42, 63, 72, 80, 92
Exhibition and MONA Café Opening Hours
Wednesday to Sunday, from 11 AM to 6 PM
Admission
Adults: 7 €
Reduced admission: 5 € (Children 12-17, Seniors 60+, Unemployed, with valid ID)
Free: Children under 12
PRESS RELATIONS
Agence Catherine Dantan
Marie Decap
7, rue Charles V
75004 Paris
01 40 21 05 15
marie@catherine-dantan.fr
www.catherine-dantan.fr
26