Besides Mary Cassatt being one of the most well-known classical female artists, there has always been something I loved about her paintings. The way she uses definitive brush strokes and still manages to create detail is something I have always admired and that is why she is artist number twenty-four.
Here are some of her works that I personally enjoy:
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| Child in a Straw Hat by Mary Cassatt |
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| Woman in a Loge by Mary Cassatt |
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| Breakfast in Bed by Mary Cassatt |
Mary Cassatt was born in 1844 in Pennsylvania and died in 1926. During her life time she became one of the leading artist of the Impressionist Movement which was significant because woman of her day were discouraged from pursuing a career but she choose to enroll in Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts at the age of 16 anyway. She soon left the program when the male faculty and students patronized her for attending the school and moved to Europe to study the works of the Old Masters firsthand. Despite her father's disproval she attended private art lessons in the Louvre and continued to recreate famous paintings until her first portrait was selected at the prestigious Paris Salon (One that she submitted under the name Mary Stevenson because of her father's disapproval with her). Mary Cassatt went through a lot of obstacles, her work burned in a fire and selling it was difficult but finally in 1872, 73, and 74 her work was accepted into the Paris Salon and she secured her status as an established artist.
What does she do?
Unlike many other impressionists during Cassatt's time that were focused on landscapes and scenes, Cassatt liked to paint portraits. Most of her works were painted with a very direct and honest nature, she was drawn to women in everyday domestic settings and children. Cassatt's paintings evolved from Impressionism to a simpler form of works and she experimented with so many different techniques that she finally stopped identifying herself with a particular movement. Some of her works were even inspired by Japanese master printmakers. Mary Cassatt created works that were honest and depicted real life situations, they were not romanticized and this is what made her stand out from other classical artists.
Why she inspires me?
This artist inspires me in the way that she took what she knew and what she saw and turned it in to art. Mary Cassatt didn't need any inspiration other than the people around her. I hope that I can take inspiration from the things that I see like this artist. Another thing about the artist that inspires me is that she was not afraid to experiment with different styles. I would like to be open-minded in the types of works I create and attempt to use various styles and techniques as well. Mary Cassatt is a very inspiring female artist, she beat the odds when they were stacked against her and created some amazing artworks.
Some more of her works are below and can be found at: http://www.marycassatt.org/
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| The Sisters by Mary Cassatt |
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| Sarah in a Green Bonnet by Mary Cassatt |
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| Summertime by Mary Cassatt |
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