Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Born near here, Cassatt studied art in Europe. She lived in Paris, befriended by the Impressionist painter Degas. She was an innovative painter, printmaker, and etcher and is noted for her works depicting women and children.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Born near here in 1844, Mary Cassatt left Pittsburgh to study art in Europe and settled in Paris, where the Impressionist master Edgar Degas became her friend and mentor. A gifted painter, printmaker, and etcher, she became renowned for her tender, unsentimental depictions of women and children. She stands as one of the few Americans — and fewer women — at the heart of the Impressionist movement.
Why it matters
Cassatt broke barriers as a woman in a male-dominated art world, and her success abroad helped establish American artists as serious figures in modern art.
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Related people
- · Mary Cassatt
- · Edgar Degas
Themes & tags
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