Chicago exhibit reconstructs vanished 1893 Mary Cassatt mural

The Art Institute of Chicago is opening a fall exhibition dedicated to the work of Mary Cassatt. The show centers on a three-panel mural the French-American artist painted for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The original artwork is not on display. Instead, the exhibit reconstructs the history of the piece, which has been missing since 1912.

Cassatt created the mural, titled Modern Woman, for the Woman's Building at the fair. Bertha Palmer, a Chicago philanthropist, spearheaded the construction of that structure. The building featured exhibits on women's patents, books, and labor contributions. Cassatt's work hung in the main hall, measuring 60 feet long and 14 feet high.

The mural depicted three scenes of well-dressed women. One scene showed women chasing a figure representing fame. Another depicted women playing music. The central scene illustrated women tending an orchard, symbolizing the pursuit of knowledge and science. Wanda Corn, a professor emeritus at Stanford University, noted that the work highlighted the possibilities for women to become educated, artists, and public figures.

A companion mural by Mary MacMonnies, titled Primitive Woman, hung opposite Cassatt's piece. Both works represented rare opportunities for women artists in the late 19th century to execute large-scale commissions. The murals required substantial physical effort to create and install in the temporary fair buildings.

Following the conclusion of the fair, the Woman's Building was demolished along with most other structures on the site. Cassatt's mural and other artworks were placed in storage. Annelise Madsen, a curator at the Art Institute, stated that the last known location for the mural was the Palmer family mansion on Lake Shore Drive. That residence was once the largest private home in Chicago before its demolition in 1950.

In 1912, the director of the Art Institute wrote a letter inquiring about unrolling the mural for a temporary installation. Madsen said the paper trail in the museum archives ends with that inquiry. The mural was never brought to the museum, and its subsequent history is undocumented.

Speculation exists that the piece was damaged by water or destroyed in a fire. Corn said she does not believe the mural will resurface. She noted that many researchers have investigated the work's disappearance and determined it is likely lost. She stated that she does not think there is a chance it would show up now.

The exhibition aims to bring the story of the mural back to life for visitors. Madsen described the piece as an important part of Chicago history. The show uses the mystery of the missing artwork to frame Cassatt's contribution to the fair.

The mural helped solidify Cassatt's reputation in the United States. Corn said that the work paved the way for other women artists to take on larger commissions. She noted that 1893 serves as a starting point for tracing the history of large-scale painting by women.

The exhibit is part of the Art Institute's fall programming. It features Cassatt's other works alongside documents and images related to the World's Fair. The museum presents the case for the mural's significance despite its physical absence from the gallery space.