Young Girl Reading Mary Stevenson Cassatt (1844-1926)

The pastel drawing presents a young girl engrossed in reading. She is seated in what appears to be a comfortable armchair upholstered in green fabric, positioned near a window that floods the scene with natural light. The artist has rendered her figure with loose, expressive strokes of pastel, creating a sense of immediacy and capturing the soft quality of light on her skin and clothing.
The girl’s posture is slightly hunched forward, suggesting deep concentration. Her gaze is directed downwards towards the book held in her hands, obscuring much of its content from view. The book itself appears to be quite substantial, adding a sense of weight and importance to the activity shes engaged in. A few strands of hair fall across her forehead, softening her features and contributing to an overall impression of youthful innocence.
The color palette is dominated by cool tones – blues, greens, and whites – which evoke a feeling of tranquility and quiet contemplation. The window acts as a focal point, its bright green hues contrasting with the more muted colors of the girl’s attire and the surrounding interior. This contrast draws attention to the source of illumination and subtly emphasizes the sense of enclosure within the room.
Beyond the straightforward depiction of reading, the drawing hints at themes of introspection and private escape. The closed book symbolizes a world contained within its pages, accessible only to the reader. The girl’s absorbed expression suggests that she is fully immersed in this inner world, momentarily detached from her surroundings. Theres an element of melancholy present as well; the subdued colors and introspective pose suggest a quiet solitude rather than exuberant joy.
The composition is simple yet effective. The verticality of the figure is balanced by the horizontal lines of the armchair and window frame, creating a sense of stability and order. The loose application of pastel lends a delicate, almost ephemeral quality to the image, reinforcing the feeling that we are witnessing a fleeting moment of private reflection.