In the Opera Box (No. 3)

Mary Cassatt, an American painter and printmaker who spent much of her adult life in France, was a prominent figure among the Impressionists, befriending Edgar Degas and exhibiting with the group. This print, "In the Opera Box (No. 3)," created in 1875, is an excellent example of her early engagement with themes of modern social life, a subject she frequently explored alongside the private lives of women. While she is perhaps best known for her tender depictions of mothers and children, as seen in works like "The Child's Bath" and "Maternal Caress," this piece offers a glimpse into a different facet of her oeuvre. Here, Cassatt captures a woman in a public, yet intimate, setting, observing and being observed, a common motif in Impressionist art. The use of soft-ground, aquatint, and etching showcases her mastery of printmaking, a medium she embraced throughout her career, allowing her to experiment with light and shadow to create evocative scenes.