Mary Cassatt

Mary Cassatt was born in to a weathy family in 1844. She was trained at Pennsylvania's Academy of Fine Arts but was unhappy with the schooling there. She later went to France and studied under Ecole des Beaux Arts masters.

Her work portrays the social and private lives of children with some very intimate portrayals of mother and child. Some of the compositions of her mother and child paintings are reminiscent of Renaissance masters, but within her own modern context. She exhibited among some of the Impressionists and was inspired by artists like Degas.

I think these are really beautiful and serene. I think my favorite is "Under the Horse Chestnut Tree." I love the palette and the flat color. The angle of the mother's face and the line looking up to her face forms a really nice line.

Good stuff.