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Mary
Stevenson Cassatt was born on May 22, 1845 in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When she was fifteen,
Mary entered the Pennsylvania Academy of the
Fine Arts in Philadelphia. At the academy, Mary
focused on drawing human figures. Having studied
under artists who were themselves taught in
France and otherwise influenced by the frequent
French art exhibits held in Philadelphia, Mary
decided to go to Europe to further her studies
in Paris.
The themes of her art were woman-centered: motherhood,
girlhood, womanhood. The recurrence of these
themes may have had to do with her relationship
with her mother, which was very close. In her
personal life, Mary remained single and childless.
Remaining in Paris for the rest of her life,
Mary Cassatt lived long enough to see a new
generation of avant-garde artists enter the
art scene and to see the Impressionists considered
Old Masters. She continued painting until 1915
when cataracts nearly blinded her. She remained
vigorous into her old age, until diabetes finally
weakened her. She died on June 14, 1926.
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