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In The Loge
In The Loge also known as At The Opera is an 1878 Impressionist painting by American artist, Mary Cassatt. The oil-on-canvas painting was originally a sketch . The final painting displays a Bourgeois woman at the opera house looking through her opera glasses. It is unclear what the woman is looking at however, a man in the background is explicitly looking at her. The woman is likely upper-middle-class given her sophisticated costume and fan in hand. The painting is intended to draw attention to the role of feminism, looking, and the power of social settings in the 19th century.

Personal Connection
Cassatt's female subjects reflect a similar story to her own personal life. Cassatt had an early passion for painting and begged her father to allow her to attend art school. It was very uncommon for a woman to attend art school at the time. After her father gave her permission to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, she moved to Paris. In Paris she was able to explore art further and meet other artists. Much like herself, her female subjects are overcoming gender stereotypes and pursuing independence.

Impressionism
Cassatt was introduced to impressionism by artist, Edgar Degas. Impressionist painters often painted social settings such as cafes, popular boulevards, and opera houses. This new movement satisfied Cassatt's desire to "adapt to the modern world". In attempt to capture the fleeting moments of time, impressionist painters used loose brushstrokes. Like other artists, Cassatt was empowered by the impressionist liberty of choosing her own subject matter to oppose the French Academy. Cassatt is now referred to as a distinct member of the impressionist group.

The Opera House
In the Loge takes place in an elevated floor of an opera house. During the 19th century, the opera house was not only a place to watch a performance, but also a social gathering where high-class and bourgeois people would mingle. It served as one of the only social settings that women could freely attend. Cassatt's choice of setting for In the Loge is intended to highlight women beginning to have agency in 19th century society.

Similar paintings
Mary Cassatt had a few other paintings that took place in the opera house such as The Loge and Woman with a Pearl Necklce in a Loge. Pierre August Renoir's La Loge or The Theatre Box is another example of subjects in the opera house. Though painted in a similar setting, there is a contrast between Renoir and Cassatt's paintings. While Renoir paints his female subjects to display their physical features, Cassatt gives her female subject a "dynamic" role.

Feminism
Women were almost exclusively the subject for Cassatt's paintings and she became known for her representation of females.

Femininity during the 19th century was represented by domestic spaces. While Cassatt certainly painted many women at home and with children, she also captured the evolution of gender that was taken place during her life. She witnessed women slowly become introduced to public spaces that were formerly inaccessible. Though permitted, it was a risk for a woman's reputation to enter spaces like an opera house. She engaged with this modernity by painting women in the few public spaces they were allowed in.

Body Language
In In the Loge, the women is seen sitting up straight, taking up most of the foreground of the image. Her elbow rests against the pew as she holds up her opera glasses. Her body language is confident and powerful.

Her facial expression is alert demonstrating her curiosity and interest. The woman is likely aware of the man staring at her, yet does not let that distract from what she is watching.

Power of the Gaze
The woman continues to actively look through her glasses despite the man in her side view. Refusing to look in his direction, the female protagonist is asserting her independence in the space. The two figures looking through their opera glasses is a reflection of gender and the public space.

The audience also plays a unique role in the painting. As one looks at the painting, their eyes are directed to the woman and the audience finds themselves staring just like the man in the back.

Commissioning
In the Loge was one of Cassatt's first pieces to be presented in the United States. Cassatt displayed 11 of her paintings at the Impressionist exhibition in 1879. In the Loge was one of the paintings that gained attention and profit. Today, the painting resides in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.