Mary Cassatt: Paintings E-Book

Josh Parker

• Herausgeber: Josh Parker
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Mary Cassatt was an American impressionist painter who depicted the lives of women, chiefly the intimate bond between mother and child. At the beginning of the 20th century, she had achieved widespread fame for her paintings. Cassatt was the only American to exhibit with the Impressionists. Her works, which were painted into a purely Impressionist style, met with great acclaim, established her reputation as an Impressionist, and consequently, were the foundation for her long and distinguished career. Edgar Degas and Cassatt were close friends and artistic allies whose shared stylistic concerns lead to mutual explorations of light, color and form. While both artists depicted scenes of modern life, they differed in their portrayal of women. Mary Cassatt was focused primarily on mother and child theme, which she treated with warmth and naturalness in paintings, pastels, and prints.

Leseprobe

Mary Cassatt: Paintings

ByJosh Parker

First Edition

Copyright © 2015 byJosh Parker

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Mary Cassatt: Paintings

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Foreword

Mary Cassatt was anAmerican impressionist painterwho depicted the lives of women,chieflytheintimatebond between mother and child. She traveled extensively as a child, and was probably exposed to the works of the great masters at the World’s fair in Paris in 1855.Degas and Pissarrowould later become her mentors and fellow painters. She began studying art seriously at the age of 15, at a time when only around twenty percent of all arts students were female. Unlike many of the other female students, she was determined to make art her career, rather than just a social skill. She was disappointed at her art education in the United States, and moved to Paris to study art under private tutors in Paris. Her mother and family friends traveled with her to France, acting as chaperones.

She continued her art education in France, and her first work was accepted into the Paris Salon in 1868. At the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, however, she returned to the United States to live with her family. Her father, who did not approve of her chosen vocation as an artist, paid for her living expenses, but refused to pay for her art supplies. During her stay in the United States, Cassatt was miserable. She exhibited some paintings but found no buyers, and upset at the lack of art tostudy;she quit painting and almost gave up the craft. After a trip to Chicago, her work was noticed by the Archbishop of Pittsburgh, who commissioned from her a copy of two of Correggio’s paintings in Italy. He offered to pay for her travel expenses and she immediately left the United States.

In Europe, Cassatt’s paintings were better received, increasing her prospects, and exhibited in the Salon of 1872, selling a painting. She exhibited every year at the Paris Salon until 1877, when all her works were rejected. Distraught at her rejection, she turned to the Impressionists, who welcomed her with welcome arms.

Deciding early in her career that marriage was not an option, Cassatt never married, and spent much of her time with her sister Lydia, until her death in 1882, which left Mary unable to work for a short time. As her career progressed, her critical reputation grew, and she was often touted, along with Degas, as the one of the best exhibitors at the Impressionist Salon. She was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 1906.She is most famous for works with the subject of mother and child. She is known for superior draughtsmanship in all the media, notably pastel.

In her later life, she was diagnosed with rheumatism, neuralgia, diabetes, and cataracts, although her spirit was never crushed. She continued to fight for the cause of women’s suffrage after she went almost blind in 1914.

She died twelve years later.

Paintings

The Young Bride

1866-67, oil on canvas, 88.9 x 70.5 cm

Sketch of Mrs. Currey Sketch of Mr. Cassatt

1871, oil on canvas,32.25 x 27 cm

Bacchante

1872, oil on canvas