This is really a tribute to one of the few female painters who had a career comparable to that of her male contemporaries. Mary Cassatt was born in the USA but spent much of her life in France. During her student days, she spent a lot of time at the Louvre copying paintings. Details about her life and career can be found e.g. at Wikipedia. Cassatt specialized in portraying women in society and as mothers, and painted delightful children, often wearing bonnets like the one in this study. She must have been very fashion-conscious judging from her love of detail. She provides us with a historical view of the best in “Victorian” fashion! This study is in soft pastels on red paper.