The woman appears to be in a boudoir in a home, and her face is not fully visible. Lastly, the clothing the woman is wearing is not typically seen in women of noble descent, as they often wore richly coloured fabrics and large hooped skirts. This woman is likely from a lower middle class family, and home taking care of the children while her husband works. The painting tells the story of a woman who has stepped away from her hectic life for a few minutes to perform some basic sanitary tasks. It is possible that this woman has just spent her day cleaning and would like to look presentable for her husband upon his return from work. The act of her bathing is not a sexual act, though one done out of necessity. Cassatt also uses very minimal amounts of shading, creating a sketch that is very one-dimensional, while still maintaining an air of completeness about
The woman appears to be in a boudoir in a home, and her face is not fully visible. Lastly, the clothing the woman is wearing is not typically seen in women of noble descent, as they often wore richly coloured fabrics and large hooped skirts. This woman is likely from a lower middle class family, and home taking care of the children while her husband works. The painting tells the story of a woman who has stepped away from her hectic life for a few minutes to perform some basic sanitary tasks. It is possible that this woman has just spent her day cleaning and would like to look presentable for her husband upon his return from work. The act of her bathing is not a sexual act, though one done out of necessity. Cassatt also uses very minimal amounts of shading, creating a sketch that is very one-dimensional, while still maintaining an air of completeness about