The artwork entitled “Young Boy in Blue” was created by Mary Cassatt, an artist associated with the Impressionism movement, around 1906. It is executed in pastel and belongs to the portrait genre, with dimensions measuring approximately 60.3 by 50.2 centimeters. Currently, this piece is held in a private collection.
In the artwork, there is a young boy portrayed against a neutral, textured backdrop. The boy’s facial expression is contemplative, and his gaze seems slightly averted from the viewer, giving a sense of naturalism and spontaneity to the piece. Cassatt’s use of pastel has enabled her to build up the portrait in layers of color, with a remarkable attention to the soft nuances of light and shadow on the boy’s face and clothes.
The clothing of the subject, rendered in strokes of blue with touches of white and yellow, suggests a casual elegance, and the blue hue creates a focal point, drawing the viewer’s attention to the figure. The artwork’s brushwork is loose and dynamic, a hallmark of the Impressionist style, which aimed to capture the fleeting effects of light and color. Moreover, the sense of immediacy and the emotional resonance of the piece are testaments to Cassatt’s skill in capturing the essence of her subject, which often focused on children and domestic settings.
