Portrait of an Elderly Lady in a Bonnet: Red Background

Portrait of an Elderly Lady in a Bonnet: Red Background (1887, Birmingham Museum of Art) is a striking formal exercise in which a vivid red ground sets off the composed dignity of the sitter. By 1887 Cassatt was a mature artist, a regular participant in Impressionist exhibitions, and an increasingly important figure in the transatlantic art world. Her elderly female subjects of this period are notable for their psychological gravity and formal assurance, resisting the condescension often evident in contemporary depictions of older women. The red background gives the work an unusual decorative boldness.

The deep red background provides a warm, saturated ground against which the sitter's darker clothing and lighter face register with vivid clarity. The handling of the bonnet and face is careful and observational, while the background is broadly applied, creating a striking decorative contrast.