Head of Adele I

A Pennsylvania native and the only American member of the Impressionist group in Paris, Mary Cassatt embraced the free and spontaneous inclinations of the rebellious French artists. Head of Adele I is one of at least five known sketches of this dark-haired girl. There is a certain type of limited finish to the model’s face, with attention to the pink blush of her cheek and cool blue shadows around her mouth. Her hair is rendered even more hastily, with a furious scribble trailing down the page.