Five O’Clock Tea is a notable painting by Mary Cassatt in the impressionist style. The painting features well-dressed women enjoying their daily routine of tea drinking. One aspect of the painting that defies traditional artistic conventions is how the tea service appears larger in scale than the women. This choice highlights the importance of this activity within their routine.
The artwork is currently located at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It is a double-portrait that showcases the modernity of the time. The painting’s original dimensions are 92.7 x 64.77 cm, and it is a hand-painted oil reproduction on canvas.
Overall, Mary Cassatt’s “Five O’Clock Tea” painting is a representation of the impressionist period’s focus on everyday life and activities. By emphasizing the importance of tea service in the routine of well-to-do women, Cassatt highlights the cultural significance of this activity in 1880.
