How Much Is A Woman and a Girl Driving Worth?

Summary valuation: Based on artist benchmarks, category headroom, and the painting’s canonical status, a prudent hypothetical auction range for Mary Cassatt’s A Woman and a Girl Driving (1881; oil on canvas, approx. 89.7 × 130.5 cm) is $10–18 million. The painting is held by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and featured prominently in its 2024 exhibition Mary Cassatt at Work, underscoring its status as a touchstone of the artist’s early mature period [2].

Record headroom and direct comparables: Cassatt’s standing auction record is $7.489 million for a late‑1870s work on paper (Young Lady in a Loge, Gazing to Right; Christie’s, 2022), purchased by the Pola Museum of Art [1]. Strong oils have reached the mid‑single digits, most notably Children Playing with a Dog at $6.2 million (2007) and $4.8 million (2018), establishing the historical ceiling for the medium [3]. At the category level, Berthe Morisot’s Après le déjeuner (1881) achieved $10.9 million in 2013, illustrating low‑ to mid‑eight‑figure potential for masterpiece‑level Impressionist works by women artists [4]. Given its prime 1881 date, ambitious scale, and celebrated modern‑life subject (women in public space), A Woman and a Girl Driving would reasonably be expected to surpass Cassatt’s current record and compete in the low eight figures.

Museum-caliber scarcity and demand tailwinds: The painting’s frequent reproduction, exhibition prominence, and art‑historical importance position it among the best‑known Cassatt oils in a U.S. collection [2]. Supply of museum‑grade Cassatt oils is exceptionally thin; when works of this period and quality appear, they attract deep institutional and private demand. Broader market research indicates the Impressionist segment remains a relatively stable “safe harbor,” with top results concentrated in best‑in‑class, guaranteed consignments—and a renewed appetite for historically important women artists, which has supported stronger estimates and bidding for canonical material [5].

Assumptions and sensitivities: This range presumes sound condition, no material structural issues, and retention of current scale and surface integrity. A current technical/condition report could shift the estimate. The upper end would be further supported by comprehensive early dealer provenance (e.g., Durand‑Ruel), deep exhibition history, and competitive third‑party interest. Replacement/insurance values in a museum context would likely sit above fair‑market, reflecting scarcity and record‑setting potential.

Conclusion: On a marquee evening platform with appropriate global marketing and a back‑stop guarantee, A Woman and a Girl Driving would be a headline lot with a credible path to $10–18 million, resetting Cassatt’s auction record and aligning with peer benchmarks for canonical 1881 Impressionism [1][2][4][5].