“Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Loge”
This lovely and bright oil painting from 1879 is by the American Impressionism artist, Mary Cassatt, and is titled “Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Loge”. This piece depicts a woman sitting in front of a mirror in a private theater box. Through the mirror, the viewer can see the reflection of the balconies of the Paris Opéra House.
Most people believe the woman to be Lydia, the artist’s older sister, whom she painted several times before (including “Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly”, “The Cup of Tea”, and “Lydia Reading the Morning Paper” amongst others). Lydia was Mary’s roommate in Paris during the 1870s and early 1880s and suffered from Bright’s disease which eventually claimed her life in 1882.
This painting was exhibited at the fourth Impressionist exhibition in 1879 where it was critically praised. Social scenes and happenings were a common theme throughout the Impressionist movement. This is one of a series that Cassatt did in the 1870s depicting the opera and theater nightlife. Cassatt was studying with Edgar Degas who was a good friend of hers, and his influence can be seen in the brushwork and luminosity of the figures skin.
“Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Loge” is currently on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
For more on Mary Cassatt, please visit her short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
