Mary Cassatt's portrait of Louisine Peters (circa 1900) is to lead an online sale of American art at Christie's on March 14-23.

It's valued at $250,000-350,000.

Mary Cassatt was an American born artist who worked mainly in France

Cassatt (1844-1926) was an American impressionist best known for her candid and revealing portraits of her friends and family.

She spent much of her adult life in France and became close friends with Edgar Degas, with whom she collaborated from the early 1880s onwards.  

As an independent artist, she was considered a champion of the New Woman movement - which advanced the course of feminism in the 19th century.

The present lot depicts the daughter of a friend, who was aged around 16 at the time.

As Christie's explains: "The portrait glows with life, from the peachy tones in her cheeks to the glint in her eye and her casual posture.

"Cassatt uses the pastel in vibrating layers of color to express the warmth and vitality of her sitter's flesh, responding to the velvety, tactile qualities of the medium.

"The result is an informal and sentimental rendering of the subject, reflecting youthful health and beauty, as well as hinting at the inner workings of a female mind."

Other lots in the sale include Winslow Homer's Volante on a Mountain Road, which is expected to sell for around $150,000-250,000.

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