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Mary Stevenson Cassatt was an American painter who, together with Marie Bracquemond and Berthe Morisot, was one of the "Grandes Dames" of Impressionism. Her father was a stockbroker and real estate agent, her mother came from a respected banking family. This wealthy background enabled Cassatt to receive an excellent education. Especially her mother, who was described as very well-read and educated, is said to have influenced her. During her childhood the family lived in Europe for five years. During this time Cassatt probably became interested in painting and later decided to study art to become a professional painter herself. The family was against it for various reasons, one being that it was inappropriate for women from wealthy families to pursue a profession at that time. On the other hand, her conservative parents feared that her studies would lead her to embrace feminist and unconventional ideologies. In fact, Cassatt later campaigned strongly for equal rights and the right to vote for women.
Against the will of her parents, Cassatt began studying at the Pennsylvania Art Academy at the age of 15. Although around 20% of the students were female, they were not accepted as fully-fledged by the teaching staff and male fellow students. This fact, the slowly progressing curriculum and the poor course offerings frustrated Cassatt so much that she dropped out of her studies prematurely. Once again she was able to assert her will and travelled to Europe to study the old masters on her own. Not only her father was strictly against her career aspirations, but she often met with resistance from the academic artists in Paris, where she ended up settling down. She was rarely given the recognition she deserved for her work. It was therefore not surprising that she accepted the invitation of Edgar Degas and exhibited many works with the Impressionists, who were considered unconventional. She became a passionate advocate of the movement, especially in her old home country.
Mary Cassatt remained unmarried, as did her close friend Degas. Despite their close relationship, an affair seems unlikely, as they were both influenced by their strictly conservative, moral background. Vincent van Gogh is also said to have intimated in some letters that Degas was sexually abstinent. Nevertheless, their relationship was so close that the studios of the two were only 5 minutes apart. Degas was in her studio almost daily, a close advisor and her mentor. Cassatt tried to distance herself from Degas' works by often focusing on women in everyday life and especially the intimate relationship between mother and child, as in "La Toilette" or "The Breastfeeding Mother". From 1910 on, her active creative period declined. Her brother died that year of an infection, which he probably contracted during a trip to Egypt with his wife and Mary. Until 1912 she could no longer paint out of grief. Later she increasingly lost her eyesight due to diabetes, until she finally became completely blind. This is said to have affected her deeply, because her great passion, art, was extinguished together with her eyesight.
Mary Stevenson Cassatt was an American painter who, together with Marie Bracquemond and Berthe Morisot, was one of the "Grandes Dames" of Impressionism. Her father was a stockbroker and real estate agent, her mother came from a respected banking family. This wealthy background enabled Cassatt to receive an excellent education. Especially her mother, who was described as very well-read and educated, is said to have influenced her. During her childhood the family lived in Europe for five years. During this time Cassatt probably became interested in painting and later decided to study art to become a professional painter herself. The family was against it for various reasons, one being that it was inappropriate for women from wealthy families to pursue a profession at that time. On the other hand, her conservative parents feared that her studies would lead her to embrace feminist and unconventional ideologies. In fact, Cassatt later campaigned strongly for equal rights and the right to vote for women.
Against the will of her parents, Cassatt began studying at the Pennsylvania Art Academy at the age of 15. Although around 20% of the students were female, they were not accepted as fully-fledged by the teaching staff and male fellow students. This fact, the slowly progressing curriculum and the poor course offerings frustrated Cassatt so much that she dropped out of her studies prematurely. Once again she was able to assert her will and travelled to Europe to study the old masters on her own. Not only her father was strictly against her career aspirations, but she often met with resistance from the academic artists in Paris, where she ended up settling down. She was rarely given the recognition she deserved for her work. It was therefore not surprising that she accepted the invitation of Edgar Degas and exhibited many works with the Impressionists, who were considered unconventional. She became a passionate advocate of the movement, especially in her old home country.
Mary Cassatt remained unmarried, as did her close friend Degas. Despite their close relationship, an affair seems unlikely, as they were both influenced by their strictly conservative, moral background. Vincent van Gogh is also said to have intimated in some letters that Degas was sexually abstinent. Nevertheless, their relationship was so close that the studios of the two were only 5 minutes apart. Degas was in her studio almost daily, a close advisor and her mentor. Cassatt tried to distance herself from Degas' works by often focusing on women in everyday life and especially the intimate relationship between mother and child, as in "La Toilette" or "The Breastfeeding Mother". From 1910 on, her active creative period declined. Her brother died that year of an infection, which he probably contracted during a trip to Egypt with his wife and Mary. Until 1912 she could no longer paint out of grief. Later she increasingly lost her eyesight due to diabetes, until she finally became completely blind. This is said to have affected her deeply, because her great passion, art, was extinguished together with her eyesight.