Mary Cassatt's "Little Girl in a Blue Armchair" Celebrated as Radical Centennial Tribute

In Washington, D.C., the National Gallery of Art showcases Mary Cassatt's 1878 painting, "Little Girl in a Blue Armchair." The artwork depicts a young girl lounging in a large blue floral chair with a small Brussels griffon dog beside her. Her bored expression and relaxed stance suggest she's either tired or frustrated, reflecting Cassatt's modern, secular approach to childhood. As an American Impressionist, Cassatt played a crucial role in 19th-century France, celebrated for her tender images of mothers and children created with loose brushwork. She once said, "I love to paint children. They are so natural and truthful." This year marks the centennial of her death in 1926 at 82, with various museums, including the Musée d'Orsay, honoring her legacy through the exhibition "Mary Cassatt: Being [exhibition title truncated in source]."