Mary Cassatt Children Playing on the Beach Baby Shower Background

Biography of Mary Cassatt

"I would rather see y'all dead."

That sounds a bit drastic doesn't it? But it was what Mary Cassatt's father said to her when she told him she wanted to be a professional person artist. Information technology was 1860 and Mary was 16, and at that time art was not considered a suitable career for a girl, peculiarly one from a wealthy home like Mary'southward.

Her father must have changed his mind considering Mary Cassatt became a pupil at the Pennsylvania Art Academy. Students had to copy famous paintings and engravings for several years before being immune to practice their own. Mary soon felt fed up of this and began to paint on her ain anyway. Her family unit had lived in France for a while when she was young, and she began to think that to really learn about art she had to get back to Europe to see famous paintings in France and Italy.

Cassatt moves to Europe

In 1865, along with her friend Eliza Haldeman, Mary went to Paris in French republic. But women were not allowed to study at the important art school, the École de Beaux-Arts (School of Cute Arts.) Instead Mary Cassatt and her friend had private lessons from one of the teachers at the École: Jean-Léon Gérôme. They also got permission to copy paintings at the famous French gallery, The Louvre.

Later they moved to the countryside most Paris and learned from the many artists who lived there.

"On the Balustrade"

This was painted in 1873, before Cassatt met the Impressionists

Mary Cassatt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Salon

In 1868 one of Mary Cassatt'due south paintings was accepted for an exhibition chosen The Salon. This exhibition was the most of import in France and to accept a painting accepted there was a sign of success.

Mary'due south family weren't equally impressed as the judges at the salon. On hearing the news, her blood brother said, "She expects to be famous, poor kid." (Mary was 24 past then!)

Mary goes back to America

In 1870 France went to war with Prussia (Germany) and Mary Cassatt went back home to the Us. Her father was still against her career in art, and although he paid for her living expenses he would non pay for any art supplies. (This might sound as if Mary was spoiled, but in the 19^th century it was normal for wealthy parents to pay for their daughter's living expenses.) Mary Cassatt tried to sell some of her paintings, just several of them were destroyed in a fire.

Cassatt'due south render to Europe

The archbishop of Pittsburg commissioned Cassatt to copy two paintings by the Italian painter Correggio so in 1872 she returned to Europe, first going to Italy.

When she finished her work there she returned to Paris, and her sis Lydia came to alive with her. Although Mary's begetter did not want her to be an creative person, he and her mother came to visit their daughters in France in 1877.

Cassatt had more paintings accustomed by the Salon, but felt frustrated with the way the judges looked downwardly on women artists.

Mary Cassatt, painted by Edgar Degas

Cassatt meets Degas

In 1874, the painter Edgar Degas saw Cassatt's painting, Ida, in the Salon and was impressed. Meantime she as well admired his work in a gallery in Paris. Later she said, "I used to press my nose against the window to see his art. It inverse my life."

The two artists did not meet until 1877 when Degas visited Mary Cassatt and invited her to showroom her paintings with the Impressionist grouping of painters.

This was a hard determination for Mary because the Impressionists did not permit their members to exhibit at the Salon. However, that twelvemonth the paintings she entered were both rejected and so she accepted Degas's invitation. She was pleased to be showing her piece of work with lively modern painters, and became linked with the Impressionists for many more than years. She and Degas were friends for the rest of their lives.

Mary Cassatt and Impressionism

In 1874 a very important event in art took place in Paris. A grouping of young painters got together and put on their own exhibition. They called it the Independent exhibition, only a critic called them The Impressionists and the name stuck. This group often had their work rejected by the Salon because they did non paint in the traditional way. They were more interested in creating temper than creating a "perfect" moving picture. They wanted to paint what they actually saw in forepart of them, and often painted outdoors. At the time it was more usual to draw exterior, just then paint the picture in a studio (and artists did not have photographs to refer to back and so!)

Impressionists were very interested in how light afflicted what they saw, and sometimes painted the same scene at different times of day or in unlike seasons. Because of this they frequently had to work quickly and their paintings had "looser" brushwork than traditional painting. They more often painted landscapes than people. Mary Cassatt and Degas both used similar techniques to the other Impressionists, but preferred to paint people. This is known as figure painting.

Berthe Morisot was another female Impressonist, and the two women became friends.

Female parent About to Wash Her Sleepy Child (1880)

Mary Cassatt's Paintings of Children

Women in the 19th century were not immune to paint many of the people that men could. Information technology was mutual for men to larn to depict paint figures past drawing "from life." This ways drawing people with no clothes on. Women were not allowed to practice this, and information technology was part of the reason they could not get to the École de Beaux-Arts. Women were also non allowed into many of the cafés where men went, then mostly painted scenes in their homes.

Children were the people that Mary Cassatt nigh liked to paint, and it is her paintings of children that she is at present most famous for. Although she never had children of her own, she had nieces and nephews and many friends with children. In 1880 her brother came to visit with his family, so she had plenty of models.

Oftentimes Cassatt painted mothers with children doing everyday things such as bathing or having a cuddle. In general she painted people doing ordinary activities, such as washing, drinking tea, reading or sewing. The people in her pictures look natural and engrossed in what they are doing. This may not seem unusual to you, simply in the nineteen^th century it was!

Compare the painting of Mother About to Wash Her Sleepy Child, or the painting beneath to The Balcony, which was painted earlier Mary Cassatt met Degas. You can see how much her way changed in only a few years!

Techniques in Mary Cassatt'southward paintings

We are now going to look more than closely at some of Cassatt's paintings. First, hither are a few ways of talking and writing about art that you might not exist familiar with.

Definition of artistic terms

Loose brushwork: means that paint is not composite so thoroughly and the strokes of the brush tin be seen more easily. This makes a painting that is normally less detailed, but livelier, than paintings that are more precise.
Composition: is how the picture is arranged
Tone: is how night or low-cal a picture or object is.

Lilliputian Girl in a Bluish Armchair

Little Girl in a Bluish Armchair

Degas gave Mary Cassatt advice on this painting, and told her it was very good. She felt angry when it was rejected for a major exhibition, the Paris Exposition Universelle, in 1878. While Little Girl In A Bluish Armchair does not look shocking to us today, in 1878 the judges didn't like the way the girl was sitting in the chair! They thought it to be somewhat unladylike. The fashion the child is slumped in the chair looks as if she is a little bored with sitting, and would like to get up and run around. The angles of her artillery and legs add to the sense of her restlessness and this contrasts with the round shape of the peacefully sleeping domestic dog.

Mary Cassatt used composition and tone to draw our attending to the girl. The chairs have up most of the moving-picture show. The area of floor between them is known in art as "negative space." This is a space betwixt objects that forms a shape. In this painting the negative space forms an arrow pointing towards the foreground where the niggling daughter and her dog sit.

To understand the furnishings of tone in the painting, half close your optics and look at the moving-picture show.

Did you notice how strongly the lite and dark of the little girl'south clothes, sash and hair stand out? Even her skin is stake compared to the environs. Nigh everything apart from the daughter is very even in tone, and so she stands out.

The Bath: 1891

A print by the Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro

The Bathroom

By choosing to paint the mother and child at bathroom time Mary Cassatt shows the closeness of their human relationship. She has used several techniques to add to this feeling of closeness:

Looking downwards on them makes them seem more than like one.
The two dark heads adjacent to each other shows their closeness.
They aren't looking at u.s., but are looking down. This creates a sense that they are absorbed in each other and in what they are doing.

In 1890 Mary Cassatt visited an exhibition of Japanese prints. After this she made several prints of her own, but the visit also influenced how she painted. In detail she was interested in the woodcut prints of the artist Kitagawa Utamaro. You can see one of his prints opposite. In The Bath the influence of Japanese prints can be seen in the mix of patterns, and the colors are similar.

Cassatt uses a mixture of patterns in this painting to create interest. The floral pattern on the furniture and wallpaper at the pinnacle of the painting are loosely painted to requite a feeling of distance, while the carpet is more than detailed. The stripes of the mother's dress contrast with these floral patterns, and cut through the eye of the painting, bringing our attention back to the figures.

Mary Cassatt also used repetition to connect parts of the picture: the colors of the h2o bowl echo the colors of the mother's dress, and the shape of the jug handle is echoed somewhere else in the painting. Can yous see where that is? Accept the quiz at the end of the commodity to see if you are correct!

Daughter Arranging Her Hair

Degas and Cassatt have an statement

Although Cassatt and Degas were skillful friends, he was sometimes very critical of her, saying that women knew cypher well-nigh style. Cassatt wanted to prove him wrong. She chose a model she thought was ugly, and painted her in an ordinary scene, arranging her hair before going to bed. The daughter wears a apparently nightdress and her confront has a vacant expression. Behind her are a nineteen^th century washing bowl and a jug. With the painting Daughter Arranging Her Hair Cassatt wanted to evidence that she could take an ordinary subject field and make a beautiful painting.

And did Mary win over her friend? You bet.

"What cartoon!" he said. "What mode!" He kept the painting until he died.

Some more data about Cassatt'southward life

In 1882, Mary'south sister Lydia died, and for a while Mary was too upset to work.

In 1886 Cassatt took part in the last Impressionist exhibition in France and the outset Impressionist exhibition in New York.

In 1891 she had her showtime solo exhibition.

In 1892 she was asked to pigment a mural on the theme of "Modern Woman" for the World Off-white in Chicago.

In 1895 she had her first solo exhibition in the United States. That same year her mother died.

Young Mother Sewing

The painting opposite, Young Mother Sewing, is one that Cassatt painted in 1900.

1n 1904 she received a French honour: Légion d'honneur.

Her final visit to America was in 1908 - 9.

In 1910 she took a trip to Egypt with her blood brother Gardner. He became ill and died, and Mary was likewise upset to work for some time.

In 1912 the French writer Archille Segard wrote a book about her life.

In 1914 she received a Gold Medal of Laurels from Pennsylvania Academy.

By 1915 her eyesight was also poor for her to pigment. She helped organise an exhibition of her own and Degas' piece of work to raise coin in support of movement for votes for women (women's suffrage.)

In 1926 Mary Cassatt died.

Try this quiz to see how much you've learned about Mary Cassatt

For each question, choose the best reply. The respond central is below.

In what year was Mary Cassatt born?
- 1844
- 1846
- 1860
Mary was influenced by painters from which country?
- Nihon
- France
- United Kingdom
Mary Cassatt was influenced past print-makers from which country?
- Nihon
- France
- United Kingdom
In the painting "The Bath" where is the shape of the jug handle echoed?
- In the shape formed by the mother's arm
- In the shape formed past the ii heads
- In the shape formed by the girl'southward arm
What was the name of the group of artists Degas invited Mary Cassatt to join?
- The Imposters
- The Impressionists
- The Salon
Why did Mary mainly pigment women and children
- Because she wasn't allowed to pigment some of things men did.
- Because she liked painting children.
- Both of the above

Answer Fundamental

1844
France
Nippon
In the shape formed by the daughter'southward arm
The Impressionists
Both of the above

This content is authentic and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Yvonne Spence (author) from Britain on September 24, 2016:

Cheers Glenis. Glad you enjoyed it. She's one of my favourite painters.

Glen Rix from United kingdom on September 21, 2016:

I very much enjoyed reading this hub. Was not familiar with the work of Mary Cassat, so thanks for the introduction. Love the paintings of children.

O from New York on October 24, 2015:

Very interesting I do besides love Mary Cassatt'due south work. Such an incredible artist, thank you for making this hub so informative. You earned a new follower. :)

Yvonne Spence (author) from UK on November xi, 2012:

pstrauble, thanks for such a lovely comment. What a great mode to describe Mary Cassatt's piece of work. And I agree, information technology does feel as if you are there with her subjects.

Patricia Scott from North Central Florida on Nov 10, 2012:

Mary's work calls to me each time I view it. I wrote an article when I start came onto hubpages final year nearly introducing young children to bully works of art and the painters. She was one I featured.

Her work makes me feel...Information technology is as if I am in the room with those she has captured and held for u.s. in time. What a gift to be able to create in this way.

Give thanks y'all for much, Melovy, for sharing with us. :) Have a happi Saturday. ps

Yvonne Spence (writer) from Great britain on October 06, 2012:

Thanks very much for checking!

Brian Leekley from Bainbridge Isle, Washington, USA on Oct 06, 2012:

Melovy, yes, the quiz is interim correctly now, and I scored 100%.

Yvonne Spence (writer) from U.k. on October 06, 2012:

Thanks for that Gail! I will expect you up on pinterest at present and follow y'all! And cheers very much for pinning my stuff.

I was also interested to read about your groundwork in fine art considering I also find your hubs beautifully presented.

Yvonne Spence (writer) from UK on October 06, 2012:

B. Leekley, I am not sure why you lot are getting that on the quiz, because there are two split questions on her influences - the start is, "Mary was influenced by painters from which country?" And and then the next is, "Mary Cassatt was influenced past impress-makers from which country?" So I'm not certain why you would be getting the answer to question three for question ii. Merely someone has but posted on a Facebook group I vest to that the quiz capsule is acting upwards, so perhaps it jumped a question. I'd exist grateful if yous would effort it again to come across if it works now.

Thanks very much for getting back to me and for sharing suggestions for other artists to write about.

Brian Leekley from Bainbridge Island, Washington, U.s.a. on October 05, 2012:

Melovy, in reply to your question virtually my annotate of this morning, question 2 of vi in your quiz asks, "Mary was influenced by painters from which countries? - Japan - French republic - United Kingdom". Because your article describes in detail the influence of French painters, especially the French Impressionists and specially Degas, on Mary's paintings, and considering your article mentions Japanese prints, not Japanese paintings, I answered France. When I clicked Next, I got the bulletin: "Ten Deplorable, the right answer was "Japan". My reading of the article is that France is non an incorrect answer to that question.

If y'all choose to revise the question and multiple choices, here'south one idea: "Mary was influenced by the artists of which countries: - France and England; - France and Nihon; - Japan and Niue."

If you do a hub series on women artists, I nominate Canadian painter Emily Carr, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and American photographer Margaret Bourke-White.

Gail Sobotkin from South Carolina on October 05, 2012:

I didn't realize yous used to teach art, but it certainly explains why your hubs are always artistically presented, including your recipe hubs.

This item hub reminded me of the art appreciation grade I took in college equally an elective.

I just recently joined Pinterest under my Happyboomernurse proper name and I'm non sure why I'chiliad not showing upwards when a general search is made on the site. The URL to my board page with all the pins I've made so far is: http://pinterest.com/happyboomernurs/

You will notice several of your fine art pages on the Kid's Art and My Favorite Artist boards.

Yvonne Spence (author) from United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland on Oct 05, 2012:

NMLady, lucky yous seeing an showroom of her work. I accept lots of printed copies in the business firm, simply accept not seen many originals. Information technology's bully to run into art in its original class. I volition e'er recall seeing Monet's waterlilies in New York and his "Ladies in the Garden" in Paris. That painting is so huge!

Thanks very much for your annotate, and glad yous enjoyed the commodity.

Yvonne Spence (writer) from U.k. on Oct 05, 2012:

Gail, I could accept added a dozen more of those beautiful paintings, just I had to stop somewhere! I used to teach fine art and and then this commodity was based on some pages I put together for schoolhouse. She was an amazing woman in many ways, and fashion ahead of her time.

Glad yous enjoyed this and thanks for your annotate and for sharing.

(I looked for y'all on Pinterest, only couldn't notice y'all.)

Yvonne Spence (author) from UK on October 05, 2012:

Cheers Beak. She is ane of my favourite painters. I love Impressionism in general.

Yvonne Spence (author) from UK on Oct 05, 2012:

B. Leekley, thanks very much for your comment and for sharing. I'm puzzled why you think the essay contradicts the quiz, though, since I take certainly meant to indicated in both that she was influenced by French painters and Japanese printers - which you have besides correctly pointed out. In what way did you call up this wasn't clear, then that I can make any alterations necessary?

NMLady from New United mexican states & Arizona on Oct 05, 2012:

I honey Mary Cassatt. I saw an exhibit of her work in Chicago about 10 years ago. I purchased some copies and take them in my habitation. I so bask them. Thanks for the article.

Gail Sobotkin from Southward Carolina on October 05, 2012:

What a fascinating introduction to the piece of work of this amazing creative person. I loved the way you lot wove the difficulties she faced- opposition from her family, prejudice confronting women in art schools and competitions, into the story which made her eventual achievements even more than amazing.

I as well liked the fact that you included so many examples of her work and gave u.s.a. tips on what to look for while viewing them.

Voted up beyond the board except for funny. Besides shared on HP and Pinterest.

Hub Hugs,

Gail

Beak Holland from Olympia, WA on Oct 05, 2012:

Wonderful paintings and a keen job of profiling this very talented adult female. Great job Yvonne; I loved the art!

Brian Leekley from Bainbridge Island, Washington, Usa on October 05, 2012:

Your essay contradicts your quiz. She was influenced first and foremost by French painters, particularly the Impressionists, and she was influenced by Japanese printmakers.

Upward, Useful, Interesting, and shared with followers, social networking sites, and my artist wife.

Yvonne Spence (author) from U.k. on September 29, 2012:

Marcy, I had never idea about what information technology would take been similar if she hadn't managed to persuade her male parent! You are right information technology would have been a huge loss to art. I too dear her art. Thanks for your comment.

Marcy Goodfleisch from Planet Earth on September 26, 2012:

I have always loved this great adult female's art. Simply recall of the loss to the art world if she had been held back from realizing her dream and developing her talent.

Excellent hub - thank you!!! Voted up and upward!

Yvonne Spence (author) from UK on September 12, 2012:

Hi RealHousewife, yep I've taken upward a ghub topic! (ipad acting up there?) I am sure you will accept seen some of her paintings as they practice become used a lot in illustrations. In that location is one of her prints in your Art Museum (I got curious so googled information technology!) Her paintings and pastels are what I love all-time. Glad y'all enjoyed this and thanks for your comment!

Yvonne Spence (writer) from Uk on September 12, 2012:

Ishwaryaa, I agree with your cess of Mary Cassatt, and I'm glad you constitute the hub informative. I'll exist interested to encounter you latest hub too. And expert for you getting full marks! Thanks for reading and for your comment.

Kelly Umphenour from St. Louis, MO on September 11, 2012:

This is another fascinating ghub topic! I had heard of her before - I didn't know mich about her. I'm sure I've seen one of those paintings before....I do go to our Art Museum here frequently...wonder if information technology was something in that location? At present it's bugging me! I KNOW I've seen her work somewhere before...

Very very interesting...loved it!

Ishwaryaa Dhandapani from Chennai, India on September 11, 2012:

An informative hub on one of the greatest female artists ever! I learnt a lot from this engaging hub of yours. I am quite familiar with some paintings every bit when I was researching for my latest hub and looking for suitable pictures for my hub, I came upon these paintings. A wonderful hub! I scored full marks in this hub - I noticed the shape of the jug's handle and detected its resemblance. Well-done!

Thanks for SHARING. Useful, Awesome & Interesting. Voted up & socially shared

Yvonne Spence (author) from UK on September 11, 2012:

Thanks Phil Plasma, glad yous enjoyed the hub.

Yvonne Spence (writer) from Great britain on September eleven, 2012:

Ruchira,

It seems quite a few people haven't heard of her, so I am glad to innovate 1 of my favourite painters! I concur with you that the fact she painted normal behaviour gives the paintings and then much life. And they are beautiful too.

Thank you for your comment.

Yvonne Spence (author) from Britain on September 11, 2012:

Nettlemere, it's hard to imagine what life must accept been similar for women in those days. When I was writing this information technology really reminded me how far we've come up in a 150 years or so.

Cheers for reading on, and for your comment.

Phil Plasma from Montreal, Quebec on September 10, 2012:

Excellent hub well-nigh Cassatt; I had heard of her merely knew little; now I know more.

Ruchira from United States on September 10, 2012:

Cheers for introducing me an artist, I had never heard of before.

There is so much life in her paintings maybe 'cause she has painted the normal beliefs of humans.

beautiful and interesting hub with many votes!

Nettlemere from Burnley, Lancashire, UK on September 10, 2012:

Great opening line which fabricated me keep reading. The hub has educated me nigh an artist I'd not fifty-fifty heard of before.

Yvonne Spence (author) from UK on September x, 2012:

Vanderleelie, thanks very much for your kind comment and I am glad you like the structure of the hub. My aim is to provide pointers for children. Thanks too for your vote up.

Vanderleelie on September 10, 2012:

An fantabulous hub most Mary Cassatt's life and fine art. I similar the assay that yous have provided for the private paintings, suggesting central elements to explore in each one. Her field of study thing and manner are appealing to children and adults alike. Voted upward and interesting.

Yvonne Spence (author) from UK on September 09, 2012:

Ballad, she'due south also one of my favourite artists. I dear so many of her paintings it was hard to know which to include! I'chiliad glad you enjoyed this and thanks for your comment and vote up.

carol stanley from Arizona on September 09, 2012:

She is 1 of my favorite artists and she is an American. These pictures are bang-up and I think you did a cracking job on her life. Always fun to learn new facts without serious research..for the readers that is. Cheers and Voting UP.

gaulkeandre1980.blogspot.com

Source: https://discover.hubpages.com/art/Mary-Cassatt-For-Kids