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| The Child's Bath Oil Canvas-Art Institute of Chicago |
Mary Cassatt was an American Painter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cassatt’s inspiration for art rooted from her travels all over Europe. Her art diversity addressed the private and social lives of women, emphasizing the objectiveations women face along with the need to stand together. Her secular paintings were an expression of her social beliefs and the sacred bonds of women. Most of her artwork deeply emphasized the bond between mother and daughter, along with women constantly assisting and supporting one another. She fought for the need of equal opportunity through her artwork, shedding light on the prejudice gender discrimination between men and women. Cassatt’s family was a bit weary on the idea of her becoming an artist, due to the to exposure of feminist ideas she would be “influenced” to. Her studies did in fact continue through the the duration of the American Civil War, aiding to her artwork inspiration.
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| Young Women Plucking the Fruits of Knowledge- Art Institute of Chicago |
Cassatt faced the constant burden of men patronizing her work for being a woman, her artwork being criticized as “too feminine”. On the contrary, critics believes she was able to portray domestic life in a way male artists could not. Cassatt's art customarily portrayed domestic settings consisting of a restricting world which not only she faced, but her artwork was restricted with burden as well. This burden rooted from her family's disapproval of her art career, her judgemental male peers and the everyday struggles she faced as a woman. Throughout time, critics began to realize her how unique her art and its ability to bring psychological insight to her work was. Mary Cassatt’s art was one of the essential turning points in the world of art, allowing individuals to establish a unique taste for Impressionist art. Rather than objectifying women in her art, Cassatt allows her pieces to significantly show the portrayal of evolving feminine identity with the guidance of maternal influence.
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