Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2024.

Images(4)

Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2023.

The Family

Artist Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926)

CultureAmerican

Date1893

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions32 1/4 × 26 1/8 in. (81.9 × 66.4 cm)
Overall, Frame: 43 × 37 1/2 × 5 in. (109.2 × 95.3 × 12.7 cm)

InscribedSigned lower right: Mary Cassatt

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.498

Collections

American Art before 1945

Not on view

DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting. The figures are arranged in a pyramid shape in the foreground, reminiscent of Renaissance Madonna and child groupings. Both the Mother and older daughter gaze at the baby. The baby looks at the older sister, or perhaps at the carnation she holds. The viewer is standing slightly above the seated figures. The background shows a path that leads into some trees, but only the bottoms of the trees are visible. The mother wears a violet dress with a wide lace collar; her two hands firmly hold the baby.

Label TextMary Cassatt American, 1844–1926 The Family, 1893 Oil on canvas Mary Cassatt first exhibited with the Impressionists in 1879, and the paintings she produced through the next decade reveal a highly innovative approach to the depiction of modern life in France. Cassatt often found her subjects within her immediate social sphere, whether in quiet domestic scenes or lively public arenas like the Paris opera house. By the 1890s, Cassatt had developed a renewed interest in examples from art history. Paintings like this one drew upon Renaissance themes and compositional formulas, often seen in earlier depictions of the Holy Family. In this painting, however, Cassatt adapted this familiar model, rendering her subjects as fully modern, both in their dress and the park-like setting, as well as the bold, impressionist manner in which she has constructed the picture. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.498 Catalogue raisonnéAdelyn Dohme Breeskin, _Mary Cassatt: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Oils, Pastels, Watercolors, and Drawings_ (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970) 83, no. 145.ProvenanceDurand-Ruel, Paris; Durand-Ruel, New York; Alfred A. Pope, Cleveland; Durand-Ruel, New York; Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, New York; Sale, American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, New York, April 10, 1930, no. 78; Durand-Ruel, Inc., New York; F. Dupre, Paris; Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., London, 1954; Mrs. A. Kahn, Detroit; John Levy, New York; Trafo from Zurich (?), 1954; Collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.; Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., 1971. Exhibition History"Exposition de Tableaux, pastels et gravures de Mary Cassatt," Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris, 1893. (Exh. cat. no. 3) "Exposition of Paintings, Pastels and Etchings by Miss Mary Cassatt," Durand-Ruel Gallery, New York, 1895. (Exh. Cat. no. 36) "Mary Cassatt Memorial Exhibition," Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa., 1928. (Exh. cat. no. 5) "Mary Cassatt," Pennsylvania Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pa., 1928. "Mary Cassatt," Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, N.J., 1938. "Trois Siécles d'Art aux Etats-Unis," Musée du Jeu de Paume, Paris, France, May - July 1938. (Exh. cat. no. 25) "Exhibition of American Art," Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y., 1938. (Loan no. 38.272) "Mary Cassatt," Haverford College, Haverford, Pa., 1939. (Exh. cat. no. 7) "Mary Cassatt," Wildenstein Galleries, New York, N.Y., October 29 - December 6, 1947. (Exh. cat. no. 16) "Mary Cassatt," Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., London, England, June - July 1953. (Exh. cat. no. 2) "French Paintings 1789-1929 from the Collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.," Dayton Art Institute, Ohio, March 25 - May 22, 1960. (Exh. cat. no. 70) "The Controversial Century, 1850-1950," Chrysler Art Museum of Provincetown, Massachusetts, and National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1962. (Exh. cat. in alphabetical order) "Mary Cassatt," National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., September 27 - November 8, 1970. (Exh. cat. no. 70) "Three Hundred Years of American Art in the Chrysler Museum," Chrysler Museum at Norfolk, Va., March 1 - July 4, 1976. (Exh. cat. pp. 151-152) "Treasures from the Chrysler Museum at Norfolk and Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.," Tennessee Fine Arts Center at Cheekwood, Nashville, Tenn., June 12 - September 5, 1977. (Exh. cat. no. 43) "Veronese to Franz Kline: Masterworks from the Chrysler Museum at Norfolk," for the benefit of The Chrysler Museum Art Reference Library, Wildenstein & Co., New York, N.Y., April 13 - May 13, 1978. (Exh. cat. no. 32) "Miss Mary Cassatt: Impressionist From Pennsylvania," Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Me., May 17 - July 1, 1979. "The Art of Mary Cassatt, 1844-1926," Organized by The American Federation of Arts, New York; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan, June 11 - July 7, 1981; Nara Prefectural Museum of Art, Nara, Japan, July 18 - August 23, 1981. (Sponsored by The Asahi Shimbun; postcard reproduced for exhibition; exh. cat. p. 23). "Mary Cassatt: An American Observer," Coe Kerr Gallery, New York, N.Y., October 3 - 27, 1984. "Splendid Legacy: The Havemeyer Collection," The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y., March 27 - June 20, 1993. "Mary Cassatt: A Modern Woman," The Art Institute of Chicago, Ill., October 10, 1998 - January 10, 1999; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass., February 6 - May 19, 1999; and National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., June 5 - September 6, 1999. "Work of the Month: The Family," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., March 2000. "Mary Cassatt, The Family," Springfield Museum of Fine Arts, Mass., May 25 - September 9, 2000. "Les artistes américains et le Louvre," Louvre, Paris, France, June 14 - September 18, 2006. "Inspiring Impressionism," High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, October 16, 2007 - January 13, 2008; Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado, February 23 - May 25, 2008; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, June 19 - September 21, 2008. "Women of the Chrysler: a 400-Year Celebration of the Arts," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., March 24 - July 18, 2010. "Upstairs/Downstairs: Masterpieces from the Chrylser Collection," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, October 10 - December 30, 2012. "Masterworks from the Chrysler Museum," North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC, April 9, 2013 - February 2, 2014. "Mary Cassatt Retrospective," Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan, June 25 - September 11, 2016; National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto, September 27 - December 4, 2016. "Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters and France," Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, November 14, 2021 - March 13, 2022; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, April 16 - July 31, 2022. "Mary Cassatt: New Impressions," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, March 10 - May 21, 2023. "Mary Cassatt at Work," Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, May 18 – September 8, 2024; Legion of Honor Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, October 5, 2024 - January 26, 2025. Published ReferencesMargaret Breuning, _Mary Cassatt_ (New York: The Hyperion Press, 1944), 15. Vladimir Visson and Daniel Wildenstein, _A Loan Exhibition of Mary Cassatt_, exh. cat., Wildenstein, New York, N.Y., 1947, 30, 35, pl. 16. _Mary Cassatt_, exh. cat., London, Marlborough Fine Art, Ltd., 1953, 2, 6. Priscilla C. Colt and Charles H. Elam, _French Paintings 1789-1929 from the collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr._, exh. cat, Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio, 1960, no. 70. Charles F. Comfort and William S.A. Dale, _The Controversial Century: 1850-1950_, exh. cat., Chrysler Art Museum of Provincetown, Provincetown, Mass., 1962. _Mary Cassatt, 1844-1926_, exh. cat., National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1970, 10, 25, pl. 37. Adelyn Dohme Breeskin, _Mary Cassatt: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Oils, Pastels, Watercolors, and Drawings_ (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970) 83, no. 145. E. John Bullard, _Mary Cassatt: Oils and Pastels_ (New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1972), 42-43, pl. 11. Dennis R. Anderson, _Three Hundred Years of American Art in the Chrysler Museum_, exh. cat., Norfolk, Va., 1975, 151-152. Eric M. Zafran and Mario Amaya, _Treasures from the Chrysler Museum at Norfolk and Walter P. Chrysler, Jr._, exh. cat., Tennessee Fine Arts Center at Cheekwood, Nashville, Tn., 1977, no. 43. Eric M. Zafran and Mario Amaya, _Veronese to Franz Kline: Masterworks from the Chrysler Museum at Norfolk_, exh. cat., Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., 1978, no.32. Jay Roudebush, _Mary Cassatt_ (New York: Crown Publishers, 1979), 46, 56, 95. Sally Webster, "Mary Cassatt's Allegory of Modern Woman," _Helicon Nine_ 1, no. 2 (Fall/Winter 1979): 38-47. Frank Getlein, _Mary Cassatt: Paintings and Prints_ (New York: Abbeville Press, 1980), 56-57, ill. Griselda Pollock, _Mary Cassatt_ (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1980), 51, 69, plate XIX. The Asahi Shimbun, ed., _The Art of Mary Cassatt, 1844-1926_, exh. cat., Isetan Museum of Art, Toyko, Japan, 1981, 23. _The Chrysler Museum: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Norfolk, Virginia_, (Norfolk: Chrysler Museum, 1982), 89. _Mary Cassatt, An American Observer: A Loan Exhibition for the Benefit of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art_, exh. cat., Coe Kerr Gallery, New York, N.Y., 1984, fig. 24. Suzanne G. Lindsay, _Mary Cassatt and Philadelphia_, exh. cat., Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, 1985, 72, fig. 26B. Nancy Mowll Mathews, ed., _Cassatt and Her Circle: Selected Letters_ (New York: Abbeville Press, 1984), 258-259, no. 37. Joyce M. Szabo, "American Art - 1875-1913" _Gallery Guide_ (Norfolk: The Chrysler Museum, 1986), no. 1. Sophia Craze, _Mary Cassatt_ (Greenwich: Brompton Books Corp., 1990), 72. ISBN: 0517015137 Susan E. Meyer, _Mary Cassatt_ (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1990), 27, 90. Alison Effeny, _Cassatt/The Masterworks_ (London: Studio Editions, 1991), 108-109, no. 107. Jefferson C. Harrison, _The Chrysler Museum Handbook of the European and American Collections: Selected Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings_ (Norfolk: The Chrysler Museum, 1991), 150-151. Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, et al. _Splendid Legacy: The Havemeyer Collection_, exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y., 1993, 216, plate 199, 298-299, no. 50. _Child Development Study Guide_ (Milton Keynes, UK: The Open University, 1995), cover reproduction. Nancy J. Skarmeas, ed., et al., _The Gift of Friendship_ (Nashville, TN: Ideals Publications Incorporated, 1995), 54. Selected by Margaret E. Hyde, _Cassatt for Kids_ (Santa Monica: Budding Artists, Inc., 1996), 2. Nancy Mowll Mathews, ed., _Cassatt: A Retrospective_ (China: Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc., 1996), 197, 307-308, pl. 64. Shona McKellar, _A Child's Book of Lullabies_ (London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1997), 3, 11. Guy Hubbard, "Clip & Save Classroom Use," _Arts & Activities_ (December 1997): 25-28. Griselda Pollock, _Mary Cassatt: Painter of Modern Women_ (London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1998), 49, fig. 29. Judith A. Barter, comp., _Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman_ (New York: Art Institute of Chicago in association with H.N. Abrams, 1998), 294, 324, plate 71. Hubert van Zeller, _Holiness for Housewives_ (Manchester, New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 1997), jacket cover illustration. Heather Haskell, "A Special Opportunity," _Springfield Library & Museums Quarterly_ 15, no. 1 (Summer 2000): 13-14. _Only a Teacher_, prod. Claudia Levin, Smith College, Public Broadcasting Television, 2000, videocassette. _Mary Cassatt: A Brush with Independence_, prod./dir. Jackson Frost, 57 min., Washington, D.C., WETA, 2002, videocassette. Sally Webster, _Eve's Daughter/Modern Woman: A Mural by Mary Cassatt_ (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004), 130-131, fig. 56. M. Therese Southgate, MD, "The Cover [The Family]," _JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association_ 293, no. 17 (May 4, 2005): 2067, cover. Martha N. Hagood and Jefferson C. Harrison, _American Art at the Chrysler Museum: Selected Paintings, Sculpture, and Drawings_ (Norfolk, Va.: Chrysler Museum of Art, 2005), 122-123, no. 74. Edited by Elizabeth Kennedy and Olivier Meslay with Contributions by Lois Marie Fink, Elizabeth Kennedy, Olivier Meslay and Paul Staiti, _American Artists and The Louvre_, exh. cat.., Musée du Louvre, Paris, France, 2006, 128 & 129. Jeff Harrison, _Collecting with Vision: Treasures From the Chrysler Museum of Art_ (London: D. Giles Ltd., 2007), 68, fig. 74. _Inspiring Impressionism, A Book of Postcards_ (Petaluma, CA,: Pomegranate Communications, Inc. 2007) Reproduced on magnates, calendars, mugs, Stik-it pads, coasters, notepads, postcards, posters and notecards for the exhibition "Inspiring Impressionism," High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, October 16, 2007 - January 13, 2008; Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado, February 23 - May 25, 2008; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, June 19 - September 21, 2008 Xavier Bray, et. al., _Inspiring Impressionism: The Impressionists and the Art of the Past_, exh. cat., Denver Art Museum, Colorado, 2007, 66 & 67, illus.11 Pamela A. Ivinski, et. al., _Mary Cassatt Retrospective_ (Tokyo: NHK with Yokohama Museum of Art and The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, 2016) 116-117, cat. no. 84. Timothy J. Standring, ed., _Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters in France_, exh. cat., Denver Art Museum in association with Yale University Press, New Haven, 2021, 165, fig. 20. Jennifer A. Thompson and Laurel Garber, _Mary Cassatt at Work_ (New Haven: Yale University Press with Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2024) 68, cat. no. 30.