Mary Cassatt

Lore & Background

Cassatt was born into an upper-middle-class family in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Her father was a successful stockbroker and land speculator; her mother came from a banking family and had a profound influence on her. Cassatt was one of seven children, two of whom died in infancy. A distant cousin of artist Robert Henri, she began studying painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts at age 15. Impatient with the slow instruction and patronizing attitudes, she moved to Paris in 1866, studying privately with Jean-Léon Gérôme, Charles Joshua Chaplin, and Thomas Couture. In 1868, her painting A Mandoline Player was accepted by the Paris Salon, making her one of two American women to first exhibit there.

After returning to the United States during the Franco-Prussian War, Cassatt considered giving up art but was commissioned by a Roman Catholic bishop to paint copies of Correggio in Parma, Italy. She returned to Europe in 1871, and her work Two Women Throwing Flowers During Carnival was well received in the Salon of 1872. She later settled in France, where she befriended Edgar Degas and exhibited with the Impressionists. Cassatt played an important role in introducing Impressionism to American collectors, notably through her friendship with the Havemeyer family.

Reader's Guide

Mary Cassatt's significance lies in her role as a leading American Impressionist and her focus on the private lives of women, especially mothers and children. She was one of 'les trois grandes dames' of Impressionism, alongside Marie Bracquemond and Berthe Morisot. Her work was compared to Degas's for its depiction of movement, light, and modern design. Cassatt also helped bring Impressionism to American audiences through her connections with collectors like the Havemeyer family. Her career reflects the challenges faced by female artists in the 19th century, as she navigated restrictions on women at art schools and in social spaces. Her legacy endures in her intimate portrayals of domestic life and her contributions to the Impressionist movement.

Did You Know?

• Cassatt was a distant cousin of artist Robert Henri.
• Her brother Alexander Johnston Cassatt became president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
• She lost some of her early paintings in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
• Cassatt was one of two American women to first exhibit at the Paris Salon, in 1868.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"O how wild I am to get to work, my fingers farely itch & my eyes water to see a fine picture again." — Mary Cassatt "I used to go and flatten my nose against that window and absorb all I could of his [Degas'] art. It changed my life. I saw art then as I wanted to see it." — Mary Cassatt "..we [the Impressionists ] are carrying on a despairing fight & need all our forces." — Mary Cassatt "If you [Vollard] should ever happen to find that picture ['Milliners's workshop'] [2] by Edgar Degas ] I know an American who will pay any price for it." — Mary Cassatt