Lydia and Her Mother at Tea

c. 1880

Dating: Approximate date range
Held at: The Cleveland Museum of Art
Medium: aquatint and etching, unique impression between fourth and fifth states
Dimensions: Sheet: 27.5 x 36 cm (10 13/16 x 14 3/16 in.); Platemark: 18 x 28 cm (7 1/16 x 11 in.)
Collection no.: 2008.110
Attribution: By the artist

About this artwork

Lydia and Her Mother at Tea — Mary Cassatt. c. 1880.

Medium: aquatint and etching, unique impression between fourth and fifth states. Dimensions: Sheet: 27.5 x 36 cm (10 13/16 x 14 3/16 in.); Platemark: 18 x 28 cm (7 1/16 x 11 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

A unique impression between the fourth and fifth states, Cassatt added texture and tone to the composition so that the figures and objects in the room become flat shapes defined by bold contrasts of light and shadow. Lydia’s elegant, pale hands raising a porcelain cup to her lips are brilliantly highlighted against the inky black of her dress.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.

Location checked Sep 10, 2026. This does not indicate whether the work is on display.

Artwork sources