Mary Cassatt: Painting the Modern Woman with Dr. Timea Andrea Lelik

Mary Cassatt was the only American artist among the founding Impressionists. She came from a well-off family in Pittsburgh that supported a formal arts education first at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and then in Europe. She settled in Paris in 1874 but played a crucial role in introducing Impressionism to American audiences, as she actively promoted the movement in the United States and encouraged American collectors to acquire works by her fellow artists. Her efforts helped bridge the gap between the American and European art scenes. In 1877 Degas invited her to begin showing with the Impressionists, and she participated in four of the eight exhibitions. She maintained a close friendship with Degas based on a shared respect for asymmetrical composition and classical Japanese prints. 

Cassatt supported herself as a successful portrait artist and printmaker, having declared herself unfit for marriage or motherhood. Despite this, her subject was often the relationship between mothers and their children. In contrast to Morisot’s bold, expressive brushwork, Cassatt often depicted her friends and family with great precision. While Cassatt did not create overtly political art, art historians have interpreted her works as subtly addressing gender issues and the limitations placed on women in society. In this lecture, we will explore Cassatt’s portrayals of women in diverse roles and emotional states, which can be regarded as challenging stereotypes and celebrating female agency and individuality. 

Led by an expert on Western art history and published author, Dr. Timea Andrea Lelik, this interactive lecture will explore Mary Cassatt’s contribution to Impressionism and to the movement’s promotion in the United States. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased appreciation and understanding of the works of one of the few women artists who achieved international recognition and success as an artist in the male-dominated art world of the 19th century.