Mary Cassatt
(1844-1926)
 

Breakfast in Bed, 1897


Cup of Tea
 

Mary Cassatt was born on May 22, 1844 in Pennsylvania to a wealthy family. Her father was a stockbroker, and her mother came from an upstanding, well-educated family. As a child, Mary traveled extensively to Europe and became fluent in German and French. In 1855, the Cassatt family returned home and settled in Philadelphia.

It was at age 15 that Mary made the decision to pursue a career in art. In 1861, she enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the fine arts in Philadelphia. For four years, she pursued her studies independently while taking art courses. Unsatisfied with the quality of education she was receiving in the U.S., she became intent on studying in Europe—Paris more specifically. She did not have free reign as far as which school to attend since some did not accept women, so she took private lessons and studied for a short time in the studio of Charles Chaplin. She also registered as a copyist at the Louvre. In 1968, the Salon exhibited her paintings for the first time.

The Boating Party, 1893


Reading La Figaro, 1883
 

In 1870, war caused Cassatt to return to the US for more than a year. She was so disillusioned by the negative atmosphere that she rarely painted during this time. She then returned to Europe and eventually went on to Spain where she painted works dealing with Spanish subjects.

Continuing her travels, Mary visited Holland and Belgium before traveling back to Rome. She finally made the decision to settle in Paris where she secured a studio and apartment with her sister Lydia. Lydia became a model for Mary, and more than ten of Mary’s known works display images of her sister. In 1882, Lydia’s death devastated Mary.

Shortly after her sister’s death, Cassatt had established herself as a successful portrait painter. Her work was especially popular with Americans who visited France. Perhaps this is the reason that some of her undiscovered portraits may be in the United States. Her portraits were different from traditional ones in that her subjects were not frozen in a carefully arranged pose. Many of them were moving, doing an activity, or very casually posed.

Mary’s career took a turn when she met Degas in 1877. He urged her to join the Impressionists, and she enthusiastically agreed, attracted to the freedom this would bring to her work. Mary is quoted as saying, “I took leave of conventional art. I began to live.” From then on, Mary’s paintings bear the influences of painters like Degas and Renoir.

The Impressionists held yearly exhibitions, giving Mary an opportunity to display her paintings. Because of her great following in the US, she also exhibited regularly in New York. Some of her most popular works from this time are mother and child scenes.

La Toilette, 1891


Quietude, 1891
 

After 25 years of being away from the US, Mary returned in 1898 to personally visit friends and art collectors. 1908 was her final trip to the United States. Her final years were sad ones. She lost many relatives and friends, and she became very ill. One of her many ailments was diabetes. Because of the disease, she developed cataracts on each eye that nearly blinded her. Eventually, she had to give up painting entirely. Mary Cassatt died in 1926.

The majority of her paintings can be found in American collections. A few remain in France where she worked. Although Cassatt isn’t as highly recognized as peers like Degas or Renoir, it’s undeniable that she is just as talented as the male painters of her time.

Torreador, 1873


The Letter, 1890-1891


Woman Bathing

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