The artwork titled “Dorothy in a Very Large Bonnet and a Dark Coat” was crafted by artist Mary Cassatt circa 1904. It is a portrait executed in pastel on paper, showcasing Cassatt’s facility with the medium and her adherence to the Impressionist movement. Despite being an Impressionist work, the portrait bears Cassatt’s unique signature, which often focused on domestic and private aspects of women’s lives. This particular artwork is currently held in a private collection.
In the artwork, we observe a child, presumably named Dorothy, who is adorned with a voluminous bonnet of a striking blue hue, which frames her face and casts a soft shadow over her features. The bonnet’s ribbon and bow add decorative flourishes around her head. Dorothy’s attire includes a dark coat that contrasts with the light bonnet and the white collar or scarf she wears around her neck. Her fair skin and rosy cheeks are softly rendered with deft strokes of pastel, capturing the delicacy and innocence of her youth. Her eyes gaze off to the side, reflecting a contemplative or distracted moment captured by the artist. There seems to be a hint of a chair or some sort of furnishing that the child is leaning on, indicated by the circular line and what may be an armrest, although details are impressionistically suggested rather than meticulously defined. The general composition is intimate, focusing on the child and her immediate surroundings, which are bathed in a harmonious blend of colors that embody the Impressionist penchant for light and atmosphere.
