In 1891 Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) exhibited a set of ten color prints at the Durand-Ruel Gallery in Paris. These prints had been made using new aquatint procedures that allowed the artist to print solid blocks of color. The colors and patterns owed much to the Japanese woodblock prints which had recently been exhibited at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Another source of the imagery was the work of Edgar Degas (1834-1917), with whom Cassatt had previously worked on black and white etchings and aquatints. Though printed in a small edition size of 25, Cassatt’s 1891 prints did not sell well, perhaps because they were too innovative for the market. Now they are appreciated as key contributions to the art of the modern print.
Tag Archive for Japonisme
Mary Cassatt: the Color Prints
Category: Art, History, Painting / Tags: Aquatint, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Etching, Geisha, Impresionism, Japonisme, Lithograph, Mary Cassatt, Ukiyo-e, Utamaro, Vincent Van Gogh, Woodblock Prints