Skip to main content
Caption
The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt
Number
1322
Prompt
The water could ripple gently, with light reflecting off its surface. The man's oar could dip into the water and create small splashes. The baby could make a subtle movement in the mother's arms. The sail could flutter slightly in the breeze.
Body

This stamp, part of the American Painting series, features Mary Cassatt's "The Boating Party." Cassatt was a leading figure in the Impressionist movement and was known for her intimate and unsentimental portrayals of women and children. "The Boating Party" is one of her most ambitious works, notable for its unusual perspective and the bold use of color and form, which show the influence of Japanese woodblock prints. The painting depicts a woman and child being rowed by a man in a boat, a seemingly simple scene that Cassatt imbues with a sense of monumentality and psychological complexity. The issuance of this stamp was a significant recognition of Cassatt's importance in American and international art history, at a time when female artists were often overlooked.