Mary Cassatt came from a wealthy banking family near Pittsburgh. She had kin who lived in France and eventually moved there herself. Cassatt initially studied with academic masters Jean-Léon Gérôme and Thomas Couture. She later joined the Impressionists in 1879 in their anti-establishment exhibitions. She was especially close to Edgar Degas who encouraged her to take up etching. This impression was once owned by Degas, as noted by the inscription in the lower right corner.

Cassatt was a disciplined artist, working in her studio on paintings and pastels from early morning until dusk, after which time she returned to her living quarters and continued with printmaking by fire or lamplight. In this print, she exploits the techniques of aquatint, regarded as more "painterly," to convey the shadowy wall at left and the sitter’s black dress and hair. The subject is shown in profile in a shallow space, and the juxtaposition of patterns against solids reflects the Impressionists’ interest in Japanese prints.