The Long Gloves

One of only three women—and the only American artist—to be included in the seminal Impressionist exhibitions, Mary Cassatt participated in four of their eight shows in 1879, 1880, 1881, and 1886. Executed during this important early period of her career, The Long Gloves of 1886 uniquely combines the bold executional style and everyday subject matter of the movement with Cassatt's own characteristically feminine point of view. The influence of her close friend and colleague Edgar Degas reveals itself in both medium and palette; loose strokes of cerulean pastel indicate a sheer fabric such as organza or chiffon for the young woman's gloves. The artist captures a sense of intimacy through this direct perspective, elevating the classic subject with her distinct modern flair. Indeed, Suzanne Lindsay writes, "The subject of a young woman pulling on gloves is common in Impressionist works and recurs in Cassatt's own," yet she distinguishes that the present work's "figure seems alive, an impression heightened by Cassatt's realism" (Mary Cassatt and Philadelphia, exhibition catalogue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1985, p. 67).