The ten prints are a remarkable accomplishment considering the labor-intensive nature of printing and the difficulty in handling the materials. Cassatt executed multiple techniques in a single print: soft ground with drawing; drypoint by etching into copper plates; aquatint; and layers of color inking.
Pissarro said of these prints, “Miss Cassatt has realized… the tone, even, subtle, delicate, without stains or seams, adorable blues, fresh rose, etc.… and the result is admirable, as beautiful as Japanese work, and it’s done with printer’s ink!” In the print, Woman Bathing, Degas’ comment, “I do not admit that a woman can draw like that,” is a clear example of what Cassatt was up against.
