Sketch of Mother Looking Down at Thomas

Mary Cassatt captured the tender bond between mother and child that became her defining subject. This intimate sketch shows a woman gazing down at the infant Thomas with quiet absorption.

Cassatt was the only American to exhibit with the French Impressionists. She brought their techniques to domestic subjects, lifting scenes of mothers and children to serious artistic consideration.

The High Museum of Art holds this work among its American Impressionist treasures, part of a collection that began with the J.J. Haverty family gifts.