Portrait of Margaret Milligan Sloan (no.2) - Mary Cassatt

A delicate pastel portrait by Mary Cassatt, depicting a young girl holding an orange, rendered with soft textures and a balanced colour palette.

Mary Cassatt, an American painter who spent much of her career in France, produced this portrait of Margaret Milligan Sloan using pastel on paper. The medium allows for a soft, tactile quality that defines the texture of the subject's dress and the surrounding atmosphere. Cassatt often focused on domestic subjects, and this work captures a young girl in a moment of quiet stillness. She holds an orange, which provides a warm contrast to the cool blue tones of her garment. The composition is balanced by the presence of a blue and white ceramic jar placed on a wooden surface to the left. This object reflects Cassatt's interest in decorative elements and the influence of Japanese art, which she studied during her time in Paris. The background is rendered with loose, expressive strokes that suggest depth without providing excessive detail. This approach keeps the focus on the sitter's expression and posture. Cassatt's technique in this work demonstrates her mastery of pastel, a medium she favoured for its ability to convey light and colour with immediacy. The lines are soft, avoiding rigid contours in favour of blended transitions. The child's gaze is directed slightly away from the viewer, suggesting a contemplative mood. This portrait is characteristic of the artist's later period, where she refined her ability to depict the psychological presence of her subjects through subtle gestures and colour relationships. The work remains a clear example of her technical skill and her ability to elevate everyday scenes into formal studies of character.