A portrait by Mary Cassatt, this Impressionist painting depicts a young woman absorbed in sewing, rendered with soft colours and loose brushwork.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an American painter and printmaker, a leading figure in the Impressionist movement. She spent much of her adult life in France, where she befriended Edgar Degas and exhibited with the Impressionists. Cassatt is best known for her paintings and prints depicting the intimate lives of women, particularly mothers with their children. In this painting, a young woman is depicted absorbed in the act of sewing. The composition is intimate, focusing on the woman's face and hands. The colour palette is soft, with muted greens, yellows, and blues. The background is a textured yellow, with a vase of purple flowers adding a touch of colour. Cassatt's brushwork is loose and painterly, typical of Impressionism, capturing the fleeting effects of light and shadow. The woman's dress, a dark green, contrasts with the white fabric she is sewing, drawing the viewer's eye to her hands and the delicate task she is performing.