The Cup of Tea by Mary Cassatt

The Cup of Tea by Mary Cassatt was painted in 1879, after she had become established in the circle of French Impressionists. While some critics were uncertain as to whether Cassatt was English or American, the writer Gustave Geffroy declared that she was "exquisitely Parisian." He singled The Cup of Tea out as his favorite in the exhibition for its nuance of color and delicate play of light on sumptuous surfaces. Joris-Karl Huysmans agreed, suggesting Mary Cassatt's work expressed "a flutter of feminine nerves."

the cup of tea by mary cassatt
The Cup of Tea by Mary Cassatt (oil on canvas,
36-3/8x25-3/4 inches) is housed in the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York.

The Cup of Tea was not the only work of Mary Cassatt's which reflected her French aesthetic. Next, we'll see a work that some critics compare to those of Edgar Degas.

For more on Impressionist paintings, artists, and art history, see: