Mary Cassatt was an impressionest paintere of the 1800s into the early 1900s. She was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania in 1844. She was first exposed to French artists at the 1855 Pasris World's Fair. She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, against the wishes of her family, and had her mind set on becoming a professional artist. Her femminest views were shared with such controversial male students such as Thomas Eakins. She later quit the Acadamey because women were looked down upon as artists and were not allowed to use nude or live models. Consequently, they could not learn proper anatomy. Mary Cassatt was highly influenced by Degas on her Impressionism work. She died on June 14, 1926 and is still heralded as one of the greatest woman artists in our time.
My interst in Mary Cassatt started one day in a previous art class a few years back. My interest was captured when I found out about her femminest views towards the Acadamey and how she was a great woman artist. I liked that she was able to make her way as aprofessional artist in a male artist's world. I loved the way she was able to make such beautiful paintings and capture the actions of a model. She painted the
One of my favorite paintings is the first one of her's I learned about: Mother and Child XI. As you can see, she painted a LOT of women with children. The woman appears to be tenderly holding the child as they get their portrait painted, but if you look closely at her left hand on the child's thigh, you can see that her grip is a death grip that lets the child know that there will be heck to pay if he acts up during the painting. It appears unfinished, but that is the beauty of it. It makes the observer think.
This painting, which apparently was not named, stood out to me because it once again has has a woman with a child, except this one is finished. In it, the woman is washing her child, but still has an almost death grip so the child doesn't move or squirm. I found this one interesting because of the way Cassatt captured the light and the pudgy rolls of skin on the child.
This painting, known as Young Mother Sewing, captured my eye because of the simplicity of the figures in the painting. The woman is simply sewing a new dress while her daughter watches Cassatt paint them both. Again, a mother depicted with a child, but the child is old enough that she does not need to be made still. I like this particular piece of hers because the observer, well I can anyway, imagine the warmth and time of that afternoon or morning that this was painted.
As you can see Mary Cassatt is a very notable artist and one I am proud to call one of my favorites. Her paintings are beautiful and she herself was an exquisite person.
My interst in Mary Cassatt started one day in a previous art class a few years back. My interest was captured when I found out about her femminest views towards the Acadamey and how she was a great woman artist. I liked that she was able to make her way as aprofessional artist in a male artist's world. I loved the way she was able to make such beautiful paintings and capture the actions of a model. She painted the
One of my favorite paintings is the first one of her's I learned about: Mother and Child XI. As you can see, she painted a LOT of women with children. The woman appears to be tenderly holding the child as they get their portrait painted, but if you look closely at her left hand on the child's thigh, you can see that her grip is a death grip that lets the child know that there will be heck to pay if he acts up during the painting. It appears unfinished, but that is the beauty of it. It makes the observer think. This painting, which apparently was not named, stood out to me because it once again has has a woman with a child, except this one is finished. In it, the woman is washing her child, but still has an almost death grip so the child doesn't move or squirm. I found this one interesting because of the way Cassatt captured the light and the pudgy rolls of skin on the child.
This painting, known as Young Mother Sewing, captured my eye because of the simplicity of the figures in the painting. The woman is simply sewing a new dress while her daughter watches Cassatt paint them both. Again, a mother depicted with a child, but the child is old enough that she does not need to be made still. I like this particular piece of hers because the observer, well I can anyway, imagine the warmth and time of that afternoon or morning that this was painted.
As you can see Mary Cassatt is a very notable artist and one I am proud to call one of my favorites. Her paintings are beautiful and she herself was an exquisite person.
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