Flagship exhibition for the autumn 2026 season: Mary Cassatt, L'Indépendante, at the Musée d'Orsay.

Mary Cassatt, Portrait of the Artist, c. 1878, gouache on paper, New York, The Met

An exhibition not to be missed at the Musée d'Orsay this autumn.

Alors que le musée d’Orsay vient de clore la splendide exposition Just as the Musée d’Orsay has wrapped up the magnificent exhibition "Renoir and Love: Joyful Modernity," a new, exceptional monograph is announced for autumn/winter 2026: "Mary Cassatt: The Independent."

Following retrospectives dedicated to Berthe Morisot, Manet & Degas, Van Gogh, and Gustave Caillebotte, the museum is indeed showcasing one of the major—yet in France, all too little-known—female figures of Impressionism: Mary Cassatt (1844–1926).

To mark the centenary of her death, the Musée d’Orsay is filling a gap: no major national exhibition has been dedicated to her since she passed away in 1926. Yet Mary Cassatt was far more than just a member of the movement. A friend of Degas, a shrewd advisor to American collectors (such as the Havemeyers), and an ardent advocate for women’s rights in America, she left her mark on the art history of the 19th and 20th centuries on both sides of the Atlantic.

Works rarely exhibited in France and the United States

Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child on a Green Background, 1897, pastel on paper mounted on a stretcher, 55 x 46 cm, Paris, Musée d'Orsay

More than 80 works—paintings, pastels, and prints—will thus trace her career, including rare pieces from private collections that have seldom been exhibited. The exhibition will also reveal her portraits of elegant women (Mary Cassatt came from the American bourgeoisie) and her scenes of motherhood, imbued with a revolutionary tenderness, as well as her keen business acumen, which enabled her to live independently of her family.

Finally, the exhibition will highlight her feminist commitment through works that advocate for a more egalitarian society.

Practical details so you don't miss the Mary Cassatt: The Independent exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay in 2026

📅 When should you visit the exhibition?

From October 6, 2026, to January 31, 2027.

💡 What if you experienced this exhibition in a different way?

As a tour guide specializing in 19th-century art, I offer private guided tours of the exhibition Mary Cassatt: An Independent for:

➡️ Step into the intimate world of his paintings and his life.

➡️ Understand his/her key role in the spread of Impressionism in the United States, underpinned by a deep knowledge of the art market.

➡️ Exploring the links between her art and her fight for women's emancipation, highlighting her role as a pioneering artist.

🗣️ Who are my guided tours for?

For private individuals (families, couples, friends), travel agencies, companies, associations, and school groups.

📩 Contact me to book a bespoke guided tour and immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Mary Cassatt, the rebel artist of the Impressionist movement. Don't wait—bookings fill up fast!