How Much Is In the Loge Worth?

Painted in 1878, In the Loge encapsulates Cassatt’s breakthrough contribution to Impressionism: the portrayal of modern women as active observers and participants in public life. The theater/loge motif is foundational in Cassatt’s oeuvre, and this image is a touchstone in scholarship on gender, spectatorship, and modernity. Its early date, fully realized composition, and canonical status within museum and academic contexts confer an exceptional “masterpiece premium.” Among Cassatt’s subjects, the theater series is arguably the most recognized and culturally resonant. This is not merely a strong example; it is one of the defining images by the artist, which positions the work at the top of her value curve and makes it a likely record-setter if ever offered.

First-rate Cassatt oils—especially from the 1878–79 theater series—are extraordinarily scarce in private hands. Many key works reside in major museums, sharply limiting opportunities for collectors to acquire a painting of this caliber. Scarcity in the very best tier often yields outsized auction results when a canonical work appears, as bidders compete across collecting categories (Impressionism, American art, masterpieces by women artists). Because works on paper are more prevalent in Cassatt’s market, the few truly great oils can trade at substantial multiples of the artist’s typical prices. In the Loge’s combination of medium, date, and subject places it in an ultra-thin supply class where competitive tension is structurally high.

The painting’s chain of ownership—artist; important dealers (including Durand-Ruel); and its acquisition by the MFA, Boston in 1910—supports unimpeachable authenticity and historical importance. Its longstanding museum stewardship, frequent reproduction, and centrality in Cassatt scholarship significantly enhance market confidence. Works with deep exhibition and publication histories are easier to promote globally and tend to galvanize broader bidder pools. While museums rarely deaccession icons of this stature, a hypothetical sale would benefit from the work’s distinguished provenance and visibility. Provided condition is excellent with a clean, legible surface, these factors should translate into aggressive competition and a pricing outcome well above the artist’s prior auction benchmarks.

Cassatt’s auction record—$7.489 million for a closely related 1878–79 loge subject on paper (2022)—establishes a high watermark for the motif and demonstrates demand intensity for this theme. Peer signals show capacity for eight-figure outcomes for masterpieces by women Impressionists (e.g., Berthe Morisot’s top results), reinforcing bidders’ willingness to pay for canonical images. Although broader Impressionist/Post‑Impressionist totals softened in 2024–25, the market remains “two-speed,” with trophy works outperforming averages. Given In the Loge’s status and scarcity, its buyer base would likely extend beyond dedicated Cassatt collectors to institutions and cross-category connoisseurs, supporting a substantial extrapolation above Cassatt’s historical sales.