The Child's Bath
Known for her sensitive yet unsentimental scenes of women and children, Mary Cassatt was the only American invited to exhibit with the original French Impressionist group. In The Child’s Bath, one of her masterworks, she used cropped forms, bold patterns and outlines, and a flattened perspective, all of which she derived from her study of Japanese woodblock prints.
Details
- Palette
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- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 101.3 × 67.3 cm (39 15/16 × 26 1/2 in.)
- Origin
- France
- Department
- Arts of the Americas
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Robert A. Waller Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Family Both · 99%
The image shows an adult embracing and bathing a child, while the catalog explicitly describes the work as a portrayal of familial closeness.
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People at Home Both · 90%
The bathing scene takes place within a domestic interior, consistent with the catalog's classification of domestic scenes.
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Scenes of Everyday Life Both · 98%
Bathing and caregiving are presented as an ordinary domestic activity, and everyday life is listed among the catalog subjects.
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Bathers Both · 99%
The child is visibly being bathed with the feet in a basin, and the work's title identifies the subject as a bath.
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Water Both · 98%
Water is visibly contained in the basin and is also identified among the catalog subjects.
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Human Figure Both · 99%
The composition is dominated by clearly rendered adult and child figures.
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Engaged with Traditional Japanese Art Metadata · 96%
The catalog states that Cassatt studied Japanese woodblock prints and carried their flattened perspective, cropped forms, and decorative patterning into this composition.
Styles and Movements
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Impressionism Metadata · 96%
The catalog identifies the work as Impressionist, a classification consistent with its painterly handling and domestic subject.
Visual Qualities
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Patterns Visual · 97%
Floral and linear decorative patterns are visible across the upholstery, rug, clothing, and surrounding textiles.
Medium and Techniques
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Oil Painting Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies the medium as oil on canvas.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the painting to 1893.
Geographic Regions
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French Art Metadata · 80%
The catalog records France as the place of origin, although Cassatt is identified as American.
Source & rights
Mary Cassatt. The Child's Bath. The Art Institute of Chicago.