In the Opera Box (No. 3)

ca. 1880

Not on view

Cassatt produced this print during a period of intense collaboration with Degas and Pissarro, a moment when they were also exploring the format of the fan. Although Cassatt never designed a fan, they feature prominently in the hands of her female subjects, especially at the theater. Here, the shape of the fan establishes the logic of the entire composition. Curving bands of light and dark—representing the theater balconies and chandelier reflected in a mirror and the sloping back of the chair framing the woman’s shoulders—echo the prominently displayed arch of the accessory in the foreground. Cassatt exhibited an impression of this print at the fifth Impressionist exhibition in 1880.

Artwork Details

Title: In the Opera Box (No. 3)
Artist: Mary Cassatt (American, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1844–1926 Le Mesnil-Théribus, Oise)
Date: ca. 1880
Medium: Soft-ground, aquatint and etching; fourth state of four
Dimensions: Plate: 7 3/4 x 7 in. (19.7 x 17.8 cm)
Sheet: 14 1/16 x 10 9/16 in. (35.7 x 26.9 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Imrie de Vegh, 1949
Object Number: 49.127.1
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

By Mary Cassatt

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly, Mary Cassatt American, Oil on canvas, American — Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly
Mary Cassatt
1880

Powder Horn, Horn (cow), lead, American — Powder Horn
American
18th century

Cloth: Label 1, Richard Tuttle American, Etching with aquatint, spitbite, sugarlift, softground, fabric collé — Cloth: Label 1
Multiple artists/makers
2002–05

Nurse and Child, Mary Cassatt American, Pastel on wove paper (originally blue), mounted on canvas, American — Nurse and Child
Mary Cassatt
1896–97

Figured flask, Blown-molded glass, American — Figured flask
American
1820–30

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.