Mary Cassatt was the first American to exhibit the style of impressionists in France. Born as an American, she spent most of her life in France to train and establish a flourishing career in arts. In France, Cassatt met and became a good friend of Edgar Degas, a contemporary Realist who supported the Impressionist movement. Cassatt and Degas shared similar art ideologies and worked together on several projects.
It was during her studies that Mary Cassatt and other students used to visit and paint the countryside. Mary Cassatt’s artwork, A Mandoline Player, was among her first artworks to be selected for exhibition at the Paris Salon. After that, she continued to exhibit at the Salon. However, this was when the art scene began to change in Paris.
Soon Mary Cassatt was criticized for her artworks as they followed traditional themes. After facing constant rejections, she was invited by Degas to showcase her work with the Impressionists. The impressionist was relatively new at that time and stood against classical art and stressed adding modernity to artwork.
Soon impressionists grew more potent, and so did Mary Cassatt’s artwork which the French appreciated. Her love for pastels was evident in her work. But, like the impressionists, she began to focus on nurturing the role of light and color in her work.
Table of Contents
The Style of Impressionism
Impressionism was an art movement that developed in France and has vastly influenced Western history. During the late 1800s, impressionist painters pressurized on adding modernity to art and stood against the classical art style. These Parisian painters wanted to draw the natural world they were part of. And created work with a particular focus on components of light and color.
Capturing art in an outdoor setting, the Impressionist artwork emphasizes light as it defines time and color as it adds definition. It is characterized by small, noticeable brushstrokes and the use of unblended colors.
Monet was the leader of the impressionist movement. He was particularly interested in using light to demonstrate the concept of time. Another prominent leader of the impressionist movement was Renoir, who captured routine life, specifically in artificial light. Yet another Impressionist, Degas, who loved to be called a Realist, was also a part of the movement and became famous for supporting the impressionists. Inspired by his work, Mary Cassatt was one of the three females who were a part of the impressionist movement.
Like Renoir, famous painter Mary Cassatt was interested in painting portraits of people, specifically women. However, in contrast to the typical impressionists, Cassatt’s artwork involves domestic settings instead of working outdoors. This represented male dominance, and gender disparity in societies where females were restricted to domestic settings and males had access to public places.
Summertime by Mary Cassatt
Summertime by Mary Cassatt is a perfect example of how the artist demonstrates Impressionism in her artworks. This is mainly because of the brushstrokes and color tones used to draw the portrait.
This portrait is an example of vivid imagery and landscape. The painting shows a woman and a young girl leisurely enjoying a boat ride around the lake. Specific to the impressionists, Cassatt uses red, orange, and blue colors to show the rippling effect of water. The luminous brushstrokes capture the viewer’s attention with ducks coming towards the boat.
Following the patterns of the impressionists, Cassatt incorporates the idea that the background and foreground should be vibrant in a painting. Cassatt exquisitely creates this combination that enhances the concept of sight and perception in what she paints.
Little Girl in the Blue Armchair
The Little Girl in the Blue Armchair is one of Mary Cassatt’s famous paintings that is a means to testify to her newly formed relationship with the impressionists. The painting shows a little girl and a dog relaxing in their specific ways. They look rather bored. However, the light in the rear and pulsating brushstrokes uplift the inanimate objects.
Little Girl in the Blue Armchair was exhibited in the first exhibition Cassatt had with the Impressionists. Then, with the help of Degas, Cassatt worked again on the portrait to showcase it during the presentation.
In the Loge, 1878
When first exhibited in America, In the Loge was appreciated by people, especially those who commented that it surpassed men’s talent. The canvas showcases a lady at a theater. Her black attire and firm grip create a bold aura like someone saying, ‘do not mess with me!’
Entertainment options like theater and opera were standard in French society. And considering its importance, the impressionists preferred painting such dazzling parts of modern life.
The artist has focused entirely on the lady who puts on her opera glasses and enjoys the show. The theater has always been a place to see and be seen, which is in line with the man you notice in the background who gazes at her.
American painter Mary Cassatt has typically painted women, and her work has consistently shown women as bold and independent. She might have shown women in domestic settings in line with the societal boundaries, but even in that setup, she has shown women to possess a strong character.
Conclusion
Known for her impressionist art style, Mary Cassatt loved to paint portraits of women in everyday life. Her immediate focus was on painting in a domestic setting to keep in line with society’s demands and male dominance. Like her other impressionist contemporaries, Cassatt used prominent brushstrokes and carefully incorporated the essence of light to showcase time.
Mary Cassatt dreamt of having the United States build an art collection similar to the Europeans. But unfortunately, her deteriorating eyesight and other circumstances made her leave work. If she were alive today, she would have significantly impacted society as an art influencer, especially among women of all ages.
