American Impressionist Mary Cassatt

Mary Stevenson Cassatt was born on May 22, 1844 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. She came from a rather large family who moved quite frequently. Mary loved to draw and no matter the location or where she lived, she would always find the time to draw. It wasn’t very long until she was interested in more than just drawing. As soon as she discovered that there were more objects, such as canvas and cloth for oil painting, to work with, she decided to try painting. Painting was just the beginning for Mary and soon after had the dream of one day settling in Europe where she would become a painter for a living. Not only was Mary very stubborn, she was also very determined to make her dream a successful reality.

Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous and well-documented artists of the twentieth century. Picasso, unlike most painters, is even more special because he did not confine himself to canvas, but also produced sculpture, poetry, and ceramics in profusion. Although much is known about this genius, there is still a lust after more knowledge concerning Picasso, his life and the creative forces that motivated him. This information can be obtained only through a careful study of the events that played out during his lifetime and the ways in which they manifested themselves in his

Berthe Morisot was born in 1841, a time when it was still quite difficult for women to become professional artists as the art world was predominantly male. She continually faced criticism and encountered difficulties due to her sex. Despite this, Morisot was able to establish herself as a respected artist whose work only continues to become more highly regarded with time. Her place in art history alongside such Impressionist artists as Claude Monet, Marie Bracquemond, Mary Cassatt, and Edgar Degas, is a testament to her ambition. She was an artist who “aspired to greatness” who “was not content to take second place.” Her painting Young Woman Knitting of 1883 is a excellent example of her style and technique. To fully comprehend how this painting is typical of her work, it is helpful to study her life, as well as her artistic development, especially in her paintings.

"Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach, 5th Edition. "Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach: Margaret Lazzari, Dona Schlesier: 9781285858166: Amazon.com: Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July

Janson, H W, Penelope J. E. Davies, and H W. Janson. Janson's History of Art: The Western Tradition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.

One pleasant afternoon, my classmates and I decided to visit the Houston Museum of Fine Arts to begin on our museum assignment in world literature class. According to Houston Museum of Fine Art’s staff, MFAH considers as one of the largest museums in the nation and it contains many variety forms of art with more than several thousand years of unique history. Also, I have never been in a museum in a very long time especially as big as MFAH, and my experience about the museum was unique and pleasant. Although I have observed many great types and forms of art in the museum, there were few that interested me the most.

Celebrated artists Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun and Marianne Von Werefkin have contributed to the evolution of two different art styles and the appreciation of female artists. Le Brun’s Self Portrait in a Straw Hat exemplifies the prominence of Neoclassicism and the Rococo movement during eighteenth century France. Von Werefkin established herself as an Expressionist in her Self Portrait in the rise of the twentieth century. Both representational pieces provide the viewer with a candid insight into the temperament of each artist, reflecting their artistic influences and the time period in which the artworks were created. Consequently this has affected their application of colour, tone and composition, creating two distinctive self portraits.

Mme Charpentier and her Children was a portrait and painted in the 1878 by Auguste Renoir a painter who resided in Limoges. The subject is identifiable because she is in the center of the room. The paint that was used was oil and work of art is impressionism. Also In this essay I am going to depict or take apart this work of art by breaking down each element. For example, the subject and general observation of the work of art. Along with the shape and form, medium and technique, the composition and the color of a work of art. Light and shadow and texture of a piece of art work. All of these elements create one single piece of art work.

Required Text: Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art: A Sourcebook of Artists’ Writings, eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz, University of California Press, 1996.

Jane Peterson belongs to the group of Impressionist artists. Features of Impressionist artists include vibrant colors, genre subject matter, everyday life scenes, and thick, quick brushstrokes (2). She developed a thriving career as a female artist in the early to mid 1900s, which was uncommon. During this time women were seen as passive, weak, and were not allowed to do things men were allowed to do, according to the class notes. Peterson is an American artist, born in Illinois, and attended art school in New York then later studied in Europe. While studying in Europe the artist that influenced her most was Joaquin Sorolla. She met Sorolla when she was studying in Madrid, Spain. Sorolla is a Spanish Impressionist best known for landscape and genre paintings (5). During the early 1900s Peterson traveled all over the world including: Europe, the Middle East, and Coastal New England (6). While traveling she created paintings of scenic landscapes. Peterson’s journey to Egypt in 1910 supplied her with the subject matter for multiple paintings including Boats on the Nile, Dawn. Key elements of the impressionistic style in Boats on the Nile, Dawn include heavy brushstrokes and vibrant colors. This painting portrays a sunrise at dawn with “two traditional Egyptian sailboats known as, “feluccas, gliding along the Nile (4).”

(2005). In D. Bjelajac, American Art: A Cultural History (pp. 37-129). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Mary Cassatt is known world-wide for her impressing art in which she focuses mainly in the everyday life of women and children. She is an American artist born in Pennsylvania on May 22, 1844, but later relocates to Europe in 1866 to pursue to work in art. This was mainly due to her family’s and society’s objections to women in the field of art. There she met and befriended famous Impressionist Edgar Degas. Because of her close friendship with Degas, she grew courage to continue to do art in her own way. She continued to paint until she slowly began to lose her eyesight and later died in 1926. Cassatt was part of the Impressionist style movement, in which she painted portraits unlike many others who painted landscapes (biography.com). Her artwork

Matthews, R.T., Noble, T.F., & Platt, F.D. (2014). Experience Humanities (8th ed.). New York, NY:

Have you ever looked at a piece of art and wondered how it could be based on real life, because it was just so beautiful? Well Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun was able to paint in such new and exciting ways; people were left wondering just this. Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun was a woman of many talents. In her life time she came up with new ways of painting, revolutionized fashion in France, and overcame any prejudice thinking because she was a woman. Before dying at the age of eighty-seven, she had gained the respect of women and men all across the world. Being a female artist in the eighteenth century was not easy, especially when you had to keep a career and your life together during the

•A summary of the artists' personal philosophies of art (if they can be found in published sources), and the prevailing trends and schools of thought in the art world at the time and in the place the artist was working. For instance, discuss what was taking place in the artist's city, country, and/or church that may have provoked a reaction from the artist or the greater society. Include any information that might help the reader understand the artist's point of view or why the artist made his or her choices in this work of art.