2-732-915 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Knitting in the Library, c. 1881. Elaborating upon the spare drawing of her mother in the library, Cassatt added aquatint to the plate, creating tonal variations and bold contrasts of light and shadow. This is an extremely rare artist's proof of the second of three states of the etching. Early prints like Knitting in the Library were private rather than commercial works of art, exercises in experimentation and innovation made by Cassatt as a young Impressionist.