Skip to main contentProvenanceThe artist
Private collection
Coe Kerr Gallery, New York, New York
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1985
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1999
Exhibition HistoryPublished References
Mary Cassatt
(American, 1844–1926)
The Lamp
1890–91
Drypoint, softground etching, and aquatint in color on ivory laid paper
Plate: 12 1/2 x 9 7/8 in. (31.8 x 25.1 cm)
Sheet: 17 x 11 3/4 in. (43.2 x 29.8 cm)
Mat: 23 1/8 x 20 1/8 in. (58.7 x 51.1 cm)
Sheet: 17 x 11 3/4 in. (43.2 x 29.8 cm)
Mat: 23 1/8 x 20 1/8 in. (58.7 x 51.1 cm)
Credit LineTerra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection
Object number1999.29
SignedSigned and inscribed in graphite lower center to lower right: Edition de 25 epreuves Imprimée par l'artiste et M. Leroy/Mary Cassatt
InterpretationMary Cassatt's aquatint print The Lamp offers an informal glimpse of a woman holding a white fan, seen from behind as she sits in an interior defined by the forms of her upholstered chair, a small Asian-style table supporting two small vessels and a blue lamp with a parasol-shaped shade, and a large wall mirror in which the lamp is reflected. Turning her head, the woman supports it on her right hand as she leans on her elbow, putting her face in upturned profile; the degree of her awareness of the viewer placed just behind her is ambiguous, however. Cassatt's indebtedness to Japanese art, especially the ukiyo-e woodblock prints she greatly admired, is reflected not only in the Asian objects and furnishings but in certain formal aspects of her image, notably the flattening of forms and their truncation by the picture's framing edges. The close-up vantage point, the twist of the woman's head, and the color scheme that sets off her pale skin against an even paler off-white sleeveless dress, all heighten emphasis on the woman's bare neck, a symbol of feminine beauty in Japanese art.
Following her visit in 1890 to a major Paris exhibition of Japanese prints, Cassatt began work on a series of ten color aquatints that pay homage to the formal qualities of the Japanese prints and update their tradition of representing female beauty and domesticity. In the difficult task of printing them she was assisted by an otherwise unidentified Monsieur Leroy, a Paris-based professional printer acknowledged by her on this impression. The series includes, in addition to The Lamp, The Bath (TF 1994.4), In the Omnibus (TF 1999.27), Woman Bathing (TF 1996.87), Maternal Caress (TF 1994.5), and Afternoon Tea Party (TF 1994.13). This group is now regarded as a landmark in printmaking history.
Following her visit in 1890 to a major Paris exhibition of Japanese prints, Cassatt began work on a series of ten color aquatints that pay homage to the formal qualities of the Japanese prints and update their tradition of representing female beauty and domesticity. In the difficult task of printing them she was assisted by an otherwise unidentified Monsieur Leroy, a Paris-based professional printer acknowledged by her on this impression. The series includes, in addition to The Lamp, The Bath (TF 1994.4), In the Omnibus (TF 1999.27), Woman Bathing (TF 1996.87), Maternal Caress (TF 1994.5), and Afternoon Tea Party (TF 1994.13). This group is now regarded as a landmark in printmaking history.
Private collection
Coe Kerr Gallery, New York, New York
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1985
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1999
Exhibition History
A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 21–June 21, 1987. [exh. cat.]
Selections from the Permanent Collection: Americans at Home and Abroad, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 6–29, 1987.
An American Revelation: The Daniel J. Terra Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, February 28–October 1, 1988.
Impressions de toujours: les peintres américains en France, 1865–1915 (Lasting Impressions: American Painters in France, 1865–1915), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, June 1–November 1, 1992; April 1–October 31, 1993; April 1–October 30, 1994; April 1–October 31, 1995. [exh. cat.]
Regard sur Mary Cassatt (Mary Cassatt at a Glance), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 2–October 31, 1996.
American Artists and the French Experience, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 12–August 27, 1997.
American Artists and the Paris Experience, 1880–1910, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 22, 1997–March 8, 1998.
Collection Cameo companion piece, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, January 1999.
The Decorative Form: The Aesthetic Movement, Arts & Crafts and the Asian Influence in American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, September 16–December 5, 1999.
(Re)Presenting Women, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, October 16, 2001–January 13, 2002.
A Place on the Avenue: Terra Museum of American Art Celebrates 15 Years in Chicago, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 16, 2002–February 16, 2003 (on exhibit extended run: November 2, 2002–March 2, 2003).
Portrait of a Lady : peintures et photographies américaines en France, 1870–1915 (Portrait of a Lady: American Paintings and Photographs in France, 1870–1915), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France (organizers). Venues: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France, April 1–July 14, 2008; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, September 25, 2008–January 5, 2009 (exhibited at Bordeaux). [exh. cat.]Terra Collection-in-Residence, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 29, 2022–December 31, 2026.
Selections from the Permanent Collection: Americans at Home and Abroad, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 6–29, 1987.
An American Revelation: The Daniel J. Terra Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, February 28–October 1, 1988.
Impressions de toujours: les peintres américains en France, 1865–1915 (Lasting Impressions: American Painters in France, 1865–1915), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, June 1–November 1, 1992; April 1–October 31, 1993; April 1–October 30, 1994; April 1–October 31, 1995. [exh. cat.]
Regard sur Mary Cassatt (Mary Cassatt at a Glance), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 2–October 31, 1996.
American Artists and the French Experience, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 12–August 27, 1997.
American Artists and the Paris Experience, 1880–1910, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 22, 1997–March 8, 1998.
Collection Cameo companion piece, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, January 1999.
The Decorative Form: The Aesthetic Movement, Arts & Crafts and the Asian Influence in American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, September 16–December 5, 1999.
(Re)Presenting Women, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, October 16, 2001–January 13, 2002.
A Place on the Avenue: Terra Museum of American Art Celebrates 15 Years in Chicago, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 16, 2002–February 16, 2003 (on exhibit extended run: November 2, 2002–March 2, 2003).
Portrait of a Lady : peintures et photographies américaines en France, 1870–1915 (Portrait of a Lady: American Paintings and Photographs in France, 1870–1915), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France (organizers). Venues: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France, April 1–July 14, 2008; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, September 25, 2008–January 5, 2009 (exhibited at Bordeaux). [exh. cat.]Terra Collection-in-Residence, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 29, 2022–December 31, 2026.
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme. The Graphic Work of Mary Cassatt: A Catalogue Raisonné. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979. No. 144, pp. 62-63; ill. p. 141 (color).
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme. Mary Cassatt: Graphic Art. (exh. cat., Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Text p. 78; ill. p. 79 (color impression from The National Gallery of Art).
Vanessa Lecomte, editor. Portrait of a Lady : peinture et photographies américains (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny and Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2008. Text (checklist) p. 93. Atkinson, D. Scott et al. A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art. Edited by Terry A. Neff. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1987. Pl. T-60, p. 169 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Mathews, Nancy Mowll and Barbara Stern Shapiro. Mary Cassatt: The Color Prints. (exh. cat., Museum of Fine Arts). Boston, Massachusetts: Museum of Fine Arts, 1989. No. 6, pp. 111–15 (no. 6, p. 114, fourth state).
Gerdts, William H. et al. Lasting Impressions: American Painters in France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 251; pl. 73, p. 252 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Gerdts, William H. et al. Impressions de toujours: les peintres américains en France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 251; pl. 73, p. 252 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Regard sur cinq années d'expositions (Five years of Exhibitions at a Glance). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Ill. p. 106 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Barter, Judith A. Mary Cassatt, Modern Woman. (exh. cat., The Art Institute of Chicago). Chicago, Illinois: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1998. No. 57, p. 279 (impression from The Art Institute of Chicago, acc. no. 1932.1290). [Note: AIC also has a second impression of the print, acc. no. 1985.485 not cited in the catalogue.]
Adelson, Warren et al. Mary Cassatt: Prints and Drawings from the Artist's Studio. (exh. cat., Adelson Galleries, Inc.). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000. Text pp. 80–81; ill. pp. 80-81 (color).
Mary Cassatt: Impressions. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2005; Paris: Le Passage Paris–New York Éditions, 2005. Text p. 57 (checklist); ill. p. 65 (color).
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme. Mary Cassatt: Graphic Art. (exh. cat., Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Text p. 78; ill. p. 79 (color impression from The National Gallery of Art).
Vanessa Lecomte, editor. Portrait of a Lady : peinture et photographies américains (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny and Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2008. Text (checklist) p. 93. Atkinson, D. Scott et al. A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art. Edited by Terry A. Neff. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1987. Pl. T-60, p. 169 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Mathews, Nancy Mowll and Barbara Stern Shapiro. Mary Cassatt: The Color Prints. (exh. cat., Museum of Fine Arts). Boston, Massachusetts: Museum of Fine Arts, 1989. No. 6, pp. 111–15 (no. 6, p. 114, fourth state).
Gerdts, William H. et al. Lasting Impressions: American Painters in France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 251; pl. 73, p. 252 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Gerdts, William H. et al. Impressions de toujours: les peintres américains en France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 251; pl. 73, p. 252 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Regard sur cinq années d'expositions (Five years of Exhibitions at a Glance). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Ill. p. 106 (color). [specific reference to Terra print]
Barter, Judith A. Mary Cassatt, Modern Woman. (exh. cat., The Art Institute of Chicago). Chicago, Illinois: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1998. No. 57, p. 279 (impression from The Art Institute of Chicago, acc. no. 1932.1290). [Note: AIC also has a second impression of the print, acc. no. 1985.485 not cited in the catalogue.]
Adelson, Warren et al. Mary Cassatt: Prints and Drawings from the Artist's Studio. (exh. cat., Adelson Galleries, Inc.). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000. Text pp. 80–81; ill. pp. 80-81 (color).
Mary Cassatt: Impressions. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2005; Paris: Le Passage Paris–New York Éditions, 2005. Text p. 57 (checklist); ill. p. 65 (color).