ticketsMember | Make a donation

Lilacs in a Window (Vase de Lilas a la Fenetre)

Mary Cassatt American
ca. 1880–83
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 766
Like many Impressionists, Cassatt was drawn to gardens and often used them as a setting for her figurative paintings and pastels. She also incorporated displays of flowers into indoor scenes. This canvas, one of her rare pure still lifes, is contemporaneous with floral subjects by her Impressionist colleagues Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir. Here, Cassatt has experimented with the effects of sunlight seen through a window, while also creating a visual dialogue between a structured composition and the organic sumptuousness of the lilacs.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Lilacs in a Window (Vase de Lilas a la Fenetre)
  • Artist: Mary Cassatt (American, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1844–1926 Le Mesnil-Théribus, Oise)
  • Date: ca. 1880–83
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 24 3/16 x 20 1/8 in. (61.5 x 51.1 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Dillon, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.207
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
The Map, Mary Cassatt American, Drypoint; second state of three
The Map
Mary Cassatt
1890
Mother Berthe Holding Her Child, Mary Cassatt American, Drypoint; second state of two
Mother Berthe Holding Her Child
Mary Cassatt
ca. 1889
The Barefooted Child, Mary Cassatt American, Drypoint and aquatint, printed in color from three plates; fifth state of five
The Barefooted Child
Mary Cassatt
ca. 1896–97
The Stocking, Mary Cassatt American, Drypoint; fifth state of six
The Stocking
Mary Cassatt
1890
The Mirror, Mary Cassatt American, Drypoint; sixth state of six
The Mirror
Mary Cassatt
ca. 1891

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

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 complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Mary Cassatt - Lilacs in a Window (Vase de Lilas a la Fenetre) - American - The Metropolitan Museum of Art