Mary Cassatt Biography
Mary Cassatt (1844 - 1926)
Mary Cassatt was born in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania in 1844, into the family of a wealthy stockbroker. She
studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1861 to1865, and then went
to continue her studies in France. One of her paintings,
The Mandolin, was accepted by the
Salon in 1868.
Cassatt went to the United States during the Franco-Prussian War but returned to
France soon afterwards. The Cassatt’s were descended from French emigrants and
Mary's education had made her familiar with French culture.
Degas introduced her to the Impressionists after seeing her work exhibited at
the 1874 Salon. Some contemporaries suspected that she and Degas were lovers,
but there is no evidence to suggest that the rumors were true. It is certain,
however, that Degas influenced her more than any other Impressionist artist.
Like many of her colleagues, Cassatt was influenced by the Japanese prints that
were then becoming known in
Europe.
Some of her Japanese-influenced work was included in her first one-woman show in
1893. She tended to paint people rather than landscapes. Her favorite
subjects were women, girls and children.
Cassatt helped the Impressionists to gain recognition in the USA, where her own
work was well received. She was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 1904.
Bad eyesight made it impossible for her to continue work after 1914. She died at
Le Mesnil-Théribus,
France, in
1926.
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