Spanish Dancer Wearing a Lace Mantilla

Mary Cassatt, Spanish Dancer Wearing a Lace Mantilla, 1873, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Victoria Dreyfus, 1967.40
Copied Mary Cassatt, Spanish Dancer Wearing a Lace Mantilla, 1873, oil on canvas, 25 5⁄8 x 19 3⁄4 in. (65.2 x 50.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Victoria Dreyfus, 1967.40
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Spanish Dancer Wearing a Lace Mantilla
Artist
Date
1873
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
25 5⁄8 x 19 3⁄4 in. (65.2 x 50.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Victoria Dreyfus
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Dress — Spanish dress
  • Spanish
  • Performing arts — dance
  • Dress — accessory — scarf
  • Dress — accessory — fan
  • Portrait female — unidentified — Ida
Object Number
1967.40
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.40

Artwork Description

Mary Cassatt spent a few months in Spain in the early 1870s. She went first to Madrid, where she copied the paintings of the Spanish masters, then established a studio in Seville. She made a series of paintings of Spanish life that emphasized the beauty and dress of the local women. This piece was exhibited at the 1874 Paris Salon under the title Ida, where it attracted the attention of French impressionist Edgar Degas. On seeing the work of Cassatt for the first time, Degas commented, “C’est vrai. Voilá quelqu’un qui sent comme moi” (It is true. There is someone who feels as I do).