Mary Cassatt Impressionism

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The great 19th century Impressionists were influenced by Japanese art. This influence, termed Japonisme, is seen in the art of Manet, Degas, Cassatt and others. Although often less recognized than European male Impressionists, Mary Cassatt brought unique perspective and subject matter to Impressionism. Portrayed as a detriment in Griselda Pollock’s Modernity and the Spaces of Femininity, the spaces of feminity that "limited" female impressionists in the 19th century made it possible for women artists like Cassatt to experiment with scenes of daily life and adapt the new Japonisme style, which included a centuries old technique of printmaking popular in Japan. Mary Cassatt was born in 1844 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. She was born to an upper …show more content…

After finishing her American schooling, Cassatt used her friends and family as live models to draw and paint, and had an increasing fascination with going to museums and copying the items on display. It should be mentioned that a significant portion of her life in America is happening at the same time as the Civil War. As the war drew to a close in 1865, Cassatt knew the next important step for any young emerging artist in the 19th century: going abroad. Going once again against her parents’ wishes, Cassatt planned to move to Europe and become a full-fledged artist at the tender age of twenty-one. Her father is quoted as saying that he “would almost rather see her dead than have her go to Europe by herself to become an artist.” Her parents’ hesitation no doubt stemmed from the loss of their beloved child Robbie. Cassatt was persistent however, and seeing her friends (including Eliza) making their own endeavors to Europe only added to her determination. It is said that Cassatt’s move irreparably shook the close relationship she had with her father, but nonetheless, she and her mother traveled to Paris in December of …show more content…

At the time, women were not allowed to actually study in the French academy so private instruction was the only option. Gérôme was one of the most requested instructors at the institution, so it was no small feat that Cassatt managed to impress him with her early work. It was under Gérôme’s guidance that she would enhance her formal skills by going to the Louvre daily to copy the artwork on display. Students, like Cassatt, could pay their way through private lessons or schooling by selling the copies of artwork they made at the Louvre to American tourists. At about the same time as Cassatt’s permanent move to Paris, Paris was in the midst of social and artistic change from the previous status quo. Along with the changing aesthetics came the emergence of a new radical group of artists who attempted to break away from previous academic tradition. This group would soon be known as the Impressionists. Cassatt herself would not become apart of this group for the next decade however, and continued to work in a more traditional manner so she could submit her artwork to the Paris Salon. As the Paris Salon did not select as many of her pieces as she had hoped, she grew frustrated and started to move away from the more classic style. It was around this time (in 1870) that she moved back home for a summer to sell some of her

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