Title
Creator
American, 1845–1926
Date
Description
This charming portrait of Margot Lux, a neighborhood girl whom Cassatt depicted on many occasions beginning around 1895, came to us laid down on an acidic board and mounted in an acidic mat. Although these materials did inflict a significant amount of burning, the majority of the damage (the extent of which can be seen in the photograph taken just after the museum acquired the print) was caused by too many years—no doubt several decades—of daily exposure to light. The drypoint was sent to a paper conservator, who, after removing the sheet from its backing, managed to return it to almost its original condition with gentle bathing and bleaching. (The dark rectangle surrounding the image of Margot is a purposeful result from the initial printing.)