After the Bath

In this tender scene, a mother gently dries her child after a bath, capturing a moment of intimate domesticity. The figures are rendered with a remarkable contrast: the mother and child's faces are meticulously detailed, drawing your eye to their expressions, while the rest of the composition, particularly the drapery and background, is much looser and sketchier. This technique, where the focus sharpens on the most expressive elements, was a hallmark of the artist's pastel work. Created in 1901, the piece uses pastel, a medium Mary Cassatt found particularly effective for depicting children who couldn't sit still for long. The quick application allowed her to capture the fleeting movements and natural interactions that define this heartwarming image.