Mary Cassatt canvas prints & artprints
Mary Cassatt was born on May 22, 1844 in Allegheny City (USA). She grew up in an American with French origins. She always considered herself an American citizen, but expressed her French roots through her love of art. Mary Cassatt is considered to belong to the Impressionist French movement. She made her fist trip to Europe with her family. Discovering French painting, sparked her ambitions. At the age of 16, she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and studied there from 1861 to 1865. This school was one of the only ones open to women. However, Mary soon expressed the desire to study art in Europe, while the American Civil War was raging. In 1865, she pursued her artistic training in Paris and was noticed by the painter Edgar Degas, who became her mentor and friend. Thanks to him, she gained recognition beyond France. She was also influenced by Toulouse-Lautrec. In 1877, she joined the Impressionist movement. At that time, she favoured intimate scenes over outdoor scenes, recalling the work of Berthe Morisot.
Mary Cassatt met with great success with a series largely inspired by Japanese prints, precisely because of the gentleness of her technique. She exhibited with the group from 1879 at the invitation of Degas. The artist, having obtained a copyist's card at the Louvre and proud of her progress with Edouard Manet, returned to the United States to open her own studio. Mary Cassatt spent her life between Paris and the United States, painting portraits of wealthy Americans for a living. Mary Cassatt died on June 14, 1926, in Mesnil-Théribus.
