I’ve been slowly reading through a very large pile of old art books that I’ve had in my studio for years and was inspired by a 1970s Swiss paperback by Jay Roudebush, “Cassatt”. This thin book is wonderful with full pages of color prints and inspiring stories of Cassatt’s life.
Mary Cassatt has been listed as one of the three greatest female impressionist painters. (The other two: Bracquemond & Morisot) Cassatt was born in Allegheny City, PA which is now the North Side of Pittsburgh, in 1844. She spent most of her adult life in France where she met with other Impressionist painters, including Edgar Degas.
Cassatt came from a wealthy family which enabled her to travel and receive her art education in Europe. Her father had actually objected to her artistic career choice early on as an unorthodox and scandalous thing during the Victorian times. “I would rather see you dead,” he once told her before he later relented.
Cassatt’s mother served as an escort to Paris, enabling her to begin her formal art studies. But she found her teacher to be a bland academic painter and abandoned the training, choosing instead to study independently at the Louvre and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.
“One does not need to follow the lessons of an instructor”, Cassatt said, “The teaching of museums is sufficient.”
Cassatt sounds like she was a very determined and strong-willed artist with a serious focus. This book explains these as “American qualities”. I’m looking forward to sharing more from this old book. Have you ever considered what “American qualities” you have that may influence your creativity? I’d love to hear what you think!
More about Mary Cassatt .
Mary Cassatt Information.
***
katieturnerartblog 
A. Being an introvert, someone who is renewed by spending time alone, with work or play. Mary Cassatt is definitely one of my artist-heroes already.