Provenance
The artist to Ambroise Vollard (1867-939), Paris, 1904 [Chicago 1998; letter from Abris Silberman of July 2, 1953, in curatorial file]; to E. and A. Silberman Galleries, New York [Breeskin 1970]; to Dr. John Jay Ireland, Chicago, July 2, 1953 [letter mentioned above]; bequeathed to the Art Institute, 1968.
Accession Number
28826
Medium
Pastel on blue-gray wove paper (faded to tan), mounted on board
Dimensions
71 × 58.5 cm (28 × 23 1/16 in.)
Classification
pastel
Credit Line
Bequest of Dr. John J. Ireland
Background & Context
Background Story
Mary Cassatt's Sleepy Nicolle (c. 1900) is a pastel on blue-gray wove paper depicting a young girl named Nicolle, sleepy and perhaps about to nap. Pastel was a favored medium for Cassatt's depictions of children, its soft, luminous quality perfectly suited to the delicacy of childhood. The blue-gray paper provides a cool ground. Cassatt's pastels of children are among her most beloved works, capturing the grace and vulnerability of childhood.
Cultural Impact
Cassatt's pastels of children are among the most beloved works of Impressionism, capturing the tenderness and vulnerability of childhood.
Why It Matters
This pastel of a sleepy child captures the tender vulnerability of childhood with Cassatt's characteristic sensitivity and refinement.
