Mary Cassatt

The American Impressionist Created for Patterson Art Awareness

By Liz Beutel

Self Portrait, 1878

HER Early LIFE Born in Pennsylvania in 1844 Was 4th of 5 children in family Traveling with family was part

of education At 11 years old she saw the

great artists of France and their work at the Paris World’s Fair in 1855

She began Art Academy of Pennsylvania at 15 years old

7 years later she moved to Paris, France to to teach herself by copying the old Masters at the Louvre museum

Self Portrait, 1880National Portrait Gallery,

Washington , D.C.

Artist FRIENDSRemember this artist from last month’s art awareness?

In 1877, Mary was invited by Degas to show her art with his group, The French Impressionists

Stage Rehearsal by Edgar Degas, 1878-1879

Mary Cassatt at the Louvre, 1879 by Edgar Degas

She was very honored! She was the only woman and the only American to be included in this prestigious Art Show!

Her STYLE The way she could paint the

tenderness of mother and child was amazing since she never had

her own children.

You can see The Bath in person at the Art Institute of

Chicago!

Little Girl in a Blue Arm Chair by Mary Cassatt , 1878

The Bath by Mary Cassatt, 1891-92, Oil on CanvasArt Institute of Chicago

The SCIENCE of

LIGHTThe Impressionists were mostly concerned with capturing the effects of sunlight on colors and would often paint outdoors.

Can you see which sister was painted with the most light? How could you tell?

The girl on the left has most of her face lighter peach almost yellow, while the sister on the right has darker peach on her face.

The AMERICAN Role Model

The Boating Party

By the 1890’s she was back in New York and Exhibiting her art in

Galleries. This was her busiest time and was a role model for

women and American artists since she was the

only woman and American that was part of the French Impressionism

movement.Oil on Canvas, Mary Cassatt , 1893/4

The PASTEL Palette

• What kind of colors do you see in the skin of mom and child?

See the colors

• orange,

• yellow,

• peach,

• tan,

• pink,

• grey

Notice all the interesting yellow, blues and violets laid next to the white folds in the sheets.

The Impressionists worked with soft pastel colors.

Breakfast in Bed by Mary Cassatt, 1897

HER Later LIFE Mary was a skilled artist; she

painted, worked with pastels and printmaking as well

By 70 years old her health was failing and she was almost blind

Mary Cassatt died in 1926 at 82 years old in France

She has left a legacy of proud American female artistry

Recently her painting the Boating Party was featured on the Great American’s Postage Stamp Series

Cassatt’s paintings have sold for as much as $4.0 million a piece Photograph of Mary Cassatt