 |
 |
 While some of history's great artists became comfortable working in a single artistic medium, others explored a variety of methods of creating pictures. Such was the case with American-born Impressionist Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), who not only painted in oils, but also worked in pastels (powdered pigments) and aquatints (an etching process), becoming one of the 19th-century's foremost American printmakers.
|
 |
 |
 |
Raised in a Pennsylvania household by a businessman of French descent, Cassat enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1861, while still in her teens. There she was influenced by John Sartain, who required his students to try printmaking before allowing them to paint.
Cassatt traveled to Paris and other European cities in 1865, and spent the remainder of the decade studying and painting throughout Europe. Her lyrical, early works were often suffused with a golden light; intimate, domestic scenes of women at work and at play were always among her favorite subjects. The Bath, painted in oil, features her frequent theme of women bathing children, and stands as one of her best-known works.
She settled in Paris in the 1870s and befriended French Impressionist Edgar Degas. He introduced her to the movement, invited her to join it and greatly influenced her work, remaining a close friend throughout her life.
Cassatt's subsequent work in various media established her as a noted Impressionist in her own right. She also became one of the movement's greatest supporters by promoting the work of other Impressionists in the U.S. and abroad.
|
 |
 |
 |
In addition to oil painting, Mary Cassatt worked in pastels and printmaking. While printmaking is a difficult process, it's easier to work in pastels. Use pastel-colored chalk to make your own Impressionist work, using Cassatt's work as inspiration. Or see what kind of 'Impression' you can make using Instant Artist!
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Failing eyesight forced Mary Cassatt to retire from active work after 1911; she died in her adopted France in 1926. Today, her enduring portrayals of women are exhibited in museums throughout the world.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Find her art on the Internet at these websites: |
|
|
« Back to Art Smart | More Featured Artists »
|
RETURN TO MAIN
CLOSE