Little girl in a blue arm chair
Mary Cassatt, 1878

Describe

Analyze

Interpret

-young girl
-dog
-chair
-complex shape and form
-compound shape
-edge line
-diagonal
-shadow
-splotchy texture on chairs
-smoothness on skin of girl
-consistent smooth texture in background
-portrait

-Contrast in texture
-adds variation
-peaceful atmosphere throughout
-shadow and varying shades of color adds dimension
-bright white on girl's outfit draws attention to her
-contrasts blue chair
-focal point
-consistency in texture and color of background unifies
-movement:diagonal

Cassatt paints a relaxing portrait of a young girl and her dog. The posture of both figures shows that they were lounging and at peace. A splotchy texture is seen in the chair, while there is a smoothness to the skin of the girl and the background. These contrast each other. The uniform background adds consistency to the piece. The picture seems to portray a calm, leisurely day inside.

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