ABOUT THE WORK:
Marry Cassatt created the painting The Child’s Bath in 1893. The painting is oil on canvas and is currently in the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
FROM THE WORK:
Immediately we see a woman who is wearing a stripped tunic with her hair tied in a bun holding a small child who is wearing a towel around her waist. The woman appears to be washing the small child’s feet in a china bowl containing water with a pitcher nearby. The woman appears to be talking as she and the child look down towards the bowl.
1. Line
There are many slanted and vertical lines in this painting. The strongest line is the vertical line created by the child’s body.
2. Light & Value
The light source of this …show more content…
Space
As you look past the woman and child, you see a chest of draws. The chest of draws look smaller compared to woman and child, showing there is some distance between the two.
4. Color
The colors in the painting show a real calmness, between the flesh color, rosy cheeks and soft green hues. The gold rims around the pitcher and bowl have a rich gold edge.
5. Texture
The texture on the mother and child’s skin are smoother than the rest of the painting. Different texture style makes the skin look more lifelike.
6. Time & Motion
The diagonal strips on the tunic draw our eyes towards the faces of the mother and daughter, which then lead us to the china bowl; the woman appears to be holding the small child’s foot, it looks like she softly pressing down with her thumb.
ANALYSIS: Formal Qualities
FROM THE WORK:
The focal point of this work is the child and women. You are immediately drawn to their faces and follow their gaze down to the china bowl. The color of the child skin help emphasis the focal point. The woman’s stripped tunic, the floral wallpaper and the patterned rug all help draw your eyes more on the small child. Seeing the child’s hand near the woman’s hand, help compare their relative size of their