Mary Cassatt

Drypoint, soft-ground etching and aquatint printed in colors, c.1891, signed in pencil and inscribed 'Imprimée par l'artiste et M. Leroy (25 épreuves)', with the artist's  blue monogram stamp (Lugt 604), on Arches laid paper, in good condition apart from slight discoloration in the margins, a short tear at the upper right sheet edge, remains of masking tape hinges at upper sheet corners verso, lightly showing through to recto

As one of Mary Cassatt's celebrated group of color prints, commonly known as "The Ten", The Lamp is forever tied to a graphic acheivement of unparalleled significance.  Not only was Cassatt's subject matter - the lives of every day women - exceptional, but her adaptation of Japanese printmaking techniques and compositional style was revolutionary in the graphic arts.  Consequently, the qualities of The Lamp within this context make it all the more noteworthy; while the artist has retained the conventional simplicity of traditional japonisme, the composition and background are significantly more complex than efforts such as The Bath or The Letter.  Most noticeable  is the striking placement of the figure whose seated position facing away from the viewer while simultaneously turning back in the opposite direction imparts a sense of voyeurism, as if we have stumbled upon a private, intimate moment.