Alexander J. Cassatt
Mary Cassatt·1880
Historical Context
Alexander J. Cassatt (1880, Detroit Institute of Arts) is a formal portrait of the artist's brother, who would go on to become president of the Pennsylvania Railroad and one of the most powerful businessmen in America. The portrait was executed at the peak of Cassatt's Impressionist engagement, when she was exhibiting with the group and in close contact with Degas. Its existence alongside her maternal and feminine subjects demonstrates the range of her portraiture, which encompassed both the domestic sphere she is associated with and the formal world of male professional achievement.
Technical Analysis
The formal male portrait employs a more contained, dignified compositional approach than Cassatt's typical intimate female subjects. The palette is likely restrained and professional, with careful attention to the sitter's bearing and expression. Cassatt applies her Impressionist directness to a subject that would conventionally receive more academic treatment.
