Mary Cassatt was a groundbreaking American artist whose work left a lasting impact on both sides of the Atlantic. Best known for her sensitive portrayals of women and children, Cassatt carved a space for herself within the male-dominated world of 19th-century art.
Living much of her life in France, she became a central figure in the Impressionist movement, collaborating with artists like Edgar Degas and participating in their landmark exhibitions.
Beyond her artistic achievements, she was a staunch advocate for women’s rights and helped shape American art collections through her influence as both an artist and adviser. The following facts offer a deeper look into the life and legacy of this remarkable figure.
Mary Cassatt Facts
1. She Was One of the Few American Impressionists
Mary Cassatt was a rare figure among the predominantly French Impressionists, bringing an American perspective to the movement. Born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, she was determined to become a professional artist at a time when this was still unusual for women, especially in the United States.
Her association with the Impressionist group in Paris marked her as one of the very few American artists to be recognized as a core member of this revolutionary art movement. Her work helped bridge the gap between American and European art scenes in the late 19th century.
2. She Was a Close Associate of Edgar Degas
Cassatt’s relationship with Edgar Degas was central to her artistic development. The two shared a mutual respect and a deep interest in capturing the human figure, especially in everyday moments.
Degas invited Cassatt to exhibit with the Impressionists in 1879, a significant endorsement that helped solidify her place in the movement. Their friendship was sometimes tumultuous but always creatively productive.
Degas influenced her experimentation with pastel and unusual perspectives, and she brought her own sensibilities to the collaboration, particularly in her depictions of women’s lives.
3. She Often Depicted Women and Children
Mary Cassatt’s most iconic works focus on the private, domestic lives of women and the close bonds between mothers and children. These scenes were not sentimental but rather deeply observational, offering a rare and dignified look into women’s everyday experiences.
Through careful composition and soft, expressive brushwork, she depicted intimacy, strength, and tenderness. Her focus on these subjects challenged the limited roles available to women in both art and society, giving visibility and emotional depth to their interior lives.
4. She Studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Cassatt began her formal art education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia when she was just 15 years old. Though it was one of the few institutions that admitted women, female students were often treated as less serious than their male counterparts and were denied access to live nude models.
Frustrated with these restrictions, Cassatt left the academy and decided to pursue her studies independently in Europe, where she found greater freedom to develop her artistic voice and engage directly with masterworks.
5. She Lived Much of Her Life in France
Cassatt moved permanently to France in the 1870s, immersing herself in the vibrant and evolving art scene of Paris. Living abroad allowed her to study the Old Masters in the Louvre and to stay connected to contemporary artistic developments.
France offered opportunities and networks that were largely unavailable to women artists in the United States at the time. Though she remained connected to her American roots, her long residence in France allowed her to grow into one of the most sophisticated and respected artists of her era.
6. She Advocated for Women in the Arts
Throughout her life, Cassatt was a strong advocate for women’s rights and female participation in the arts. She encouraged women not only to create art but also to become educated collectors and patrons.
Her success and visibility inspired many aspiring women artists, and she used her influence to open doors that had traditionally been closed to them. She also supported women’s suffrage and was actively involved in exhibitions and causes that promoted gender equality in both cultural and political arenas.
7. She Mastered Printmaking Techniques
Cassatt was not only a painter but also a highly skilled printmaker. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, she turned her attention to printmaking, especially the techniques of drypoint, etching, and aquatint.
Inspired by the clean lines and flat colors of Japanese prints, particularly those of Hokusai and Utamaro, she developed a distinctive style that combined European and Asian influences.
Her 1891 series of color prints, which explored scenes of women bathing, grooming, and caring for children, are considered masterpieces of the form and pushed the boundaries of what fine art printmaking could achieve.
8. She Exhibited in Seven of the Eight Impressionist Shows
Mary Cassatt was a key participant in the Impressionist exhibitions held between 1874 and 1886, showing her work in seven out of the eight official group shows.
Her inclusion in these exhibitions signaled her acceptance by the core group of artists, including Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro, despite being both American and a woman—two characteristics that made her an outsider in some circles.
Her participation allowed her to gain public recognition and to challenge prevailing ideas about who could be an artist and what subjects were worthy of artistic depiction.
9. Her Work Was Influential in American Art Collections
Cassatt played a crucial role in shaping American tastes in art, especially among wealthy collectors. She advised major patrons such as Louisine Havemeyer and her husband Henry, encouraging them to acquire works by her fellow Impressionists.
Through these efforts, Cassatt helped build some of the most important Impressionist collections in the United States. Many of these works were eventually donated to major institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, significantly enhancing public access to Impressionist art and reinforcing Cassatt’s legacy as both artist and cultural intermediary.
10. She Went Blind in Later Life
In her later years, Mary Cassatt suffered from a number of health issues, including diabetes, cataracts, and rheumatism. These conditions eventually led to near-total blindness, forcing her to stop painting around 1914.
Although she could no longer create new works, her influence and reputation continued to grow. She remained a revered figure in the art world until her death in 1926 in Château de Beaufresne, France. Her late-life perseverance in the face of physical decline is a testament to her enduring dedication to art and her pioneering spirit.