The artwork “Portrait of young girl” is a creation by Mary Cassatt, a renowned artist associated with the Impressionist movement. The piece is categorized as a sketch and study, measuring 23 by 23 centimeters, and it is currently housed at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France.
The artwork captures the essence of a young girl through Cassatt’s impressionist style. The brushwork is loose, emphasizing the play of light and color over intricate detail. In the artwork, the girl’s profile is rendered with softened, yet visible, strokes, creating a sense of depth and dimension. There is an interplay of shadows and highlights within the painting, characteristic of the Impressionist technique, which suggests the contours of the girl’s face and hair without resorting to sharp lines. The choice of colors is relatively muted with earthy tones, which imparts a sense of realism despite the sketchy, unfinished appearance that is typical for a study. The background is implied rather than detailed, focusing the viewer’s attention squarely on the subject herself. Overall, Cassatt’s deft handling of the medium and her sensitivity to the nuances of light and color result in a portrayal that is intimate and expressive, capturing the fleeting nature of a moment in the young girl’s life.
