""Mary Cassatt at Work" examines Cassatts concern for modern women, as revealed in her sensitive depictions of the social, intellectual, and working lives of the women she encountered as a professional artist. From early on, Cassatt was recognized for her intimate depictions of women and children. Less often mentioned is her frequent emphasis on the work of child-rearing in these scenes, whether performed by hired help or mothers themselves. Much the same can be said for Cassatts portrayal of other traditionally feminine activities, such as embroidering, reading, or making social appearances: Cassatts female subjects are always actively engaged-often engrossed-in what they are doing. The catalogue will offer a robust survey of her artistic practice and argue for the importance of Cassatts interest in the "serious work" of both art-making and the traditionally undervalued spheres of feminized activity. Across her scenes of women and children, Cassatt emphasized the place of paid and unpaid work in the world around her. At the same time, her evolving style continually prompts viewers to consider the intensive effort involved in her own rigorous practice of oil painting, intaglio printmaking, and pastel drawing. Together, the essays present new findings about the material and technical labor of Cassatts art-making, and connect these insights to her subject matter and carefully constructed professional identity as a working artist.

Through a combination of thematic, historical, and technical essays, the catalogue places Cassatts professionalism in the context of her biography and the wider social contexts of Parisian modernity." --.