A Figure Painter Whose Subjects Center On Family Life
Mary Cassatt was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but spent most
of her life in France, where she was a part of the inner circle of
Impressionist. Her early career was influenced by the artists,
Monet and Degas, photography, and Japanese prints. Cassatt was a
figure painter whose subjects center on family life, particularly
images of motherhood and childhood.
In the early 1860's, Cassatt attended classes at the Pennsylvania
Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In 1865-1866, she traveled
to Paris, where she worked in the Louver, and studied with Gèróme
and Chaplin. She exhibited her first work at the Salon in 1868
at a time when she was painting around the outskirts of Paris.
Her work at the Paris Salon was noticed and admired by Degas, with
whom, after she settled in Paris in 1875, she struck up a lasting
friendship.
However, it must be emphasized that Cassatt was never Degas pupil.
What she gained from Degas was a controlled spontaneity, a disciplined
freedom of paint application, and a devotion to contemporary subject
matter portrayed in an objective, candid manner.
Cassatt's early works, mostly of figures, were greatly influenced
by the 16th and 17th centuries, but her association with the
Impressionists soon resulted in her using a much lighter palette and
broken brushstrokes.
The above figurative painting was done by Sanchia Lin with a
palette knife.
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