SAN ANTONIO, TX.- This fall, McNay visitors have a special opportunity to view Mary Cassatt’s Impressionist masterpiece The Cup of Tea in the Museum’s newest exhibition Mary Cassatt’s Women. Joined by the McNay’s own rare suite of Cassatt’s well-known aquatints as well as other works on paper, The Cup of Tea is on loan exclusively to the McNay from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York for three months.

“We’re very fortunate to have been founded by a woman artist and have gender parity in our DNA,” said Richard Aste, McNay Director. "Thanks to Marion Koogler McNay, our collection begins with the art of Impressionists Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Mary Cassatt. This focused exhibition is a fitting tribute to her legacy.”

Cassatt received critical acclaim for The Cup of Tea in the 1881 Impressionist exhibition in Paris. She was also the only American artist to officially be incorporated into the Impressionist circle.

Mary Cassatt’s Women focuses on the artist’s images of the ordinary, authentic, and intimate moments from the daily lives of upper-middle-class women like herself as they care for children, ride the public omnibus, or enjoy the ritual of having tea. Cassatt’s compositions frequently include family members as subjects—including her sister Lydia—who is portrayed in The Cup of Tea.

“What makes Cassatt’s work compelling is how she elevates what could be dismissed as mundane subject matter through her masterful approach to color and composition,” said Heather Lammers, McNay Collections Manager and Curator. “Her innovations of visible brush strokes and emphasis on the changing qualities of light bring a level of sensitivity and beauty to depictions of everyday social scenes.”

A special “Tea with Mary Cassatt” program is slated for November 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. Guests are invited to sip tea and savor creamy scones while Mary Cassatt expert and art historian, Dr. Karen Pope, discusses how the artist paid tribute to the feminine experience in her depictions of everyday life. Space is limited and tickets are available for purchase online. Cost is $45 for not-yet-members and $40 for McNay Members.

Mary Cassatt’s Women is organized for the McNay Art Museum by Heather Lammers, Collections Manager and Curator, with Liz Paris, Registrar for Collections.