Mary Cassatt And Philadelphia

“With large, crisply reproduced, color artwork on nearly every page, this picture-book biography . . . will appeal to a broad age-range.” —Booklist Mary Cassatt knew from a young age that she wanted to make her living as an artist. She persuaded her parents to send her to the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts at age fifteen, and by age twenty, she had moved abroad to begin her painting career. After several years of study and success, she found her rightful place among the Impressionists, becoming their first and only female American member. Illustrated with Cassatt’s own work and that of other influential Impressionists, as well as photographs of the artist, this book offers children a glimpse at life during the late 1800s and showcases the colorful vivaciousness of Cassatt's work. Her beloved portraits of mothers and children are highlighted here, but the book also includes lesser-known work that shows Cassatt’s range of talent. Children will enjoy seeing the warm and loving images of others their age relaxing with pets, enjoying the outdoors, and being held by caring adults. Inspiring for all children, but especially appropriate for those with artistic interests, this book shows how one girl's lifelong dream to become an artist came true due to an independent spirit, determination, and commitment to her craft. “Attractive, clear, and useful to young students.” —Library Media Connection “Through both words and art, this biography beautifully pictures the life of a talented and courageous woman.” —www.childrenslit.com “Explores history and social context in an engaging manner that will connect readers—and their parents—to earlier times.” —The Bloomsbury Review

One of the few women Impressionists, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) had a life of paradoxes: American born, she lived and worked in France; a classically trained artist, she preferred the company of radicals; never married, she painted exquisite and beloved portraits of mothers and children. This book provides new insight into the personal life and artistic endeavors of this extraordinary woman. "Brilliant, lively life of long lived American Impressionist."--Kirkus Reviews "Rich in historical and archeological detail, thoroughgoing in its resurrection of the contexts and conditions of Cassatt's life as an artist."--Carol Armstrong, New York Times Book Review "Mathews informatively and entertainingly documents Cassatt's tumultuous relations with various members of both the American and Parisian avant-garde. . . . An impressive biography."--Siri Huntoon, New York Newsday "A superb piece of scholarship."--Ruth Johnstone Wales, Christian Science Monitor "In this admirable biography, art historian Mathews . . . presents a compelling portrait of this contradictory woman."--Publishers Weekly "Authoritative, unsentimental, clear as a bell, this is a model of the new biography by and about talented women."--Kennedy Fraser "This will probably be the definitive biography for our generation."--John Wilmerding, Princeton University

Mary Cassatt's paintings and prints have long been treasured as some of the finest examples of Impressionist art. A rebel by the Victorian standards of her time, Mary Cassatt moved from the art schools of staid Philadelphia to the boulevards of Paris, where the young Impressionist movement was flourishing. Degas, her friend and mentor, encouraged her involvement in the new art movement. Cassatt's luminous, observant, and innovative works-chiefly interiors with women and children-helped define Impressionism and have been compared to Raphael's paintings for their beauty and dignity. Frank Getlein, noted art critic and historian, has selected 72 of Cassatt's finest works, each reproduced here in full color. His accompanying text relates the intimate details of her life to her paintings while clearly defining her relation to fellow artists and her place in modern art. The publication of this book marks the first time that so many of Cassatt's paintings and prints, some rarely seen by American audiences, have been made available at a popular price.

American-born impressionist painter Mary Cassatt depicted the intelligent, successful, and independent "new woman" of the nineteenth century. Through engaging text and photos, readers will learn about Cassatt's adventurous life and discover more about the period in which she lived. Art Smart boxes clue students in to the way Cassatt worked and created her beautiful paintings.

This groundbreaking study, the definitive introduction to the work of artist Mary Cassatt, places her work in the wider context of nineteenth-century feminism and art theory and is now updated with color illustrations. This groundbreaking study redefines the status of the beloved American artist Mary Cassatt, placing her work in the wider context of nineteenth- century feminism and art theory. Mary Cassatt looks at the artist’s work in light of her time as an advocate for women’s intellectual life and political emancipation. Esteemed by her contemporaries for her commitment to what she and her radical colleagues in Paris termed “the new art”—now called impressionism—Cassatt brought her discerning gaze and compositional inventiveness to the study of the subtle, often psychological, social interactions of women in public and private spaces. Focusing on key moments of engagement and change over the artist’s long career, art historian Griselda Pollock discusses Cassatt’s artistic training across Europe, her profound study of the Old Masters, and places fresh emphasis on the artist’s interest in Manet and other contemporary French and Spanish painters as well as her influence on American collections of French modernism. Now revised with a new preface, updates to the bibliography, and color illustrations throughout, this book offers a reevaluation of the work of this important artist as seen through the frames of class, gender, space, and difference.

Mary Cassatt said, “There are two ways for a painter: the broad and easy one or the narrow and hard one.” Though born in Pennsylvania, Cassatt studied traditional art in Europe, but was eventually influenced by the Impressionists and Japanese prints. Full-color photographs of her works, including At the Opera, demonstrate her techniques, which readers can learn to emulate. Details and interesting trivia about her pieces are called out, such as the reason the figure in Young Woman Sewing in a Garden is wearing white. Cassatt wanted other colors to be reflected on it!