“The Fitting” is a genre painting by Mary Cassatt, completed in 1891. Executed in drypoint and etching, the artwork is a manifestation of the Impressionist movement. It measures 25.78 by 37.47 centimeters and is presently housed in a private collection.
The artwork captures an intimate moment within an everyday setting. It depicts two women engaged in the act of fitting a dress. The central figure is standing sideways with a slight inclination, suggesting that she is the subject of the garment alteration. Another character, whose back is turned to the viewer, appears to be a seamstress attending to the fitting process, examining or adjusting the fabric at the back of the dress. The composition is intimate, inviting onlookers to a glimpse of a private, possibly bourgeois, domestic scene. Remarkably, the work embraces the characteristic loose brushstrokes of Impressionism, even within the constraints of drypoint and etching, offering a softness and fluidity to the figures and their environment. The careful attention to the patterns of the dress, the delicate rendering of the fabric, and the play of light and shadow reflect Cassatt’s mastery in portraying the textures and nuances of the scene.
