This pastel represents the culmination of a series of pictures centered on the atmosphere of the theatre or opera box, which Cassatt explored when her involvement with the Impressionist group was at its most enthusiastic. The theme satisfied various Impressionist interests, most particularly in the effects of light (here artificial) and in the common pursuits of the modern city. This picture was also a relatively early exploration of the expressive qualities of pastel, demonstrating Degas's influence most clearly in the varied use of the medium, smoothed down to suggest the sheen of the model's bared shoulder but applied in slashing diagonals in the background and at the left of the skirt to add energy to an already assertive pose.

Cassatt was quick to realize the possibilities afforded by placing a mirror within a composition, enabling her to show a figure from different angles and to repeat key lines and shapes. A distinctive feature of Cassatt's opera pictures is her use of a curve, created by the back of a chair or by tiers of seats, to strengthen or balance the line of the sitter's shoulders or to create a bold decorative background. Here, both the divan and the reflection in the mirror enhance the sweeping movement within the image, from the chandelier to the clasped hands. Even in works where the immediate sensations are triggered by color, Cassatt displayed an interest in line that would eventually lead to her abandoning extreme Impressionist effects in favor of precision and clarity. The light also falls from top left to bottom right, illuminating the sitter's beautiful red hair while leaving her face in shadow, a quiet passage within an image of great animation and excitement. By veiling what we might have expected to be the focus of the picture, Cassatt maintains a certain detachment from the model and centers the interest in its exhilarating color effects.

The identification of Lydia as the model has been disputed. The pose struck here was the same as that in which Cassatt was represented by Degas in the portrait she rejected. She may have felt it suitable for depicting an anonymous figure at the theatre, but not for a portrait of a respectable woman like herself. Only in this instance did she deny the truth of an image, a seemingly accurate reflection of her opinionated personality.

Credit Line:

Purchase: acquired through the generosity of an anonymous donor

Object number:

F77-33

Signed:

l.l.c.: "Mary Cassatt"