Mary Cassatt's The Stocking

The impressionist exhibit in the Gulbenkian museum was impressive, including works from, Monet, Renoir, and Degas. However, The Stocking immediately caught my eye. This tender moment between a mother and her child is beautifully depicted by Mary Cassatt - a female artist! The soft, warm color palette drew me into the scene and the coziness that lies within. This artwork was done with pastels and you can see the line work and blending that Cassatt has done. The mother leans into her child, insinuating the closeness that is between them. They are both in white which represents purity and new beginnings, both things that are characteristic of young children. I also love the ease and familiarity that is found in this image. The child is reaching out for something out of frame, but the mother holds her child tight, dutifully working the stocking onto her foot. 

Mary Cassatt was a French impressionist artist, a field that was dominated by men. Her paintings went against the grain, providing a unique perspective, because of the subjects and scenes that she painted. NY Times says that “she didn’t depict women sitting pretty for men.” Instead, many of her paintings picture mothers and their children, and scenes around the home. They show everyday scenes that everyday women can relate to and see themselves in. She portrays the scene in The Stocking with tenderness and beauty, even though it is a simple action. Her success in art opened doors for women artists who came after her and challenged gender roles in artistic careers, as well as the home. She made these homey activities into something that is art to be appreciated. Her ability to capture soft, human interaction, comes across in this painting and shows us her influential style.

This painting being housed in the Gulbenkian Museum adds to Lisbon's status as a cultural capital in multiple ways. It shows that people in Lisbon can appreciate female artists and art history. Mary Cassatt's work is displayed next to the men that are so much more well known than hers, and it more than holds its own. Gulbenkian only collected the best, and Mary Cassatt was one of them. This painting is also an example of offering a wider variety of art to people who come to visit Lisbon, and its residents. This painting represents women's lives and their day to day experiences, which can relate to more people. This entire museum is a testament to Lisbon's appreciation for history and their desire to preserve wonderful art.