Mary Cassatt’s 1880-81 painting “Lydia Seated At An Embroidery Frame” features the artist’s older sister Lydia seated in profile, fashionably dressed and painted in loose brushstrokes. The piece, an oil on canvas, is part of the Flint Institute of Arts collection in Michigan and was gifted by the Whiting Foundation.
Cassatt was an American painter and printmaker who spent most of her life in France. She exhibited with the Impressionists and became friends with Edgar Degas. The painting depicts a domestic setting, created during summer 1880 at Marly-le-Roi where Cassatt found inspiration for many of her works.
The painting portrays Lydia quietly engaged in embroidery work while sitting outdoors in a walled garden which provides insulation from modern life. Despite its seemingly mundane subject matter, “Lydia Seated At An Embroidery Frame” is perfectly executed and exemplifies Cassatt’s talent at capturing everyday scenes with a sense of intimacy.
Premium canvas prints or hand-painted oil reproductions are available for those who want to have their own version of this stunning artwork that showcases Cassatt’s skillful brushwork techniques and ability to capture both realism and sentimentality in one piece.
