Hello and Happy Holidays from K. Miller Watercolors!

It's hard to believe that I am already writing the "Holiday Issue" of my newsletter when it doesn't seem like that time of year!  We've had a wonderful, unseasonably warm and beautiful fall.  What a gift it has been!  But now the beauty of another season is beginning and we've had the first few tastes of snow and cold. 

Sincerely,

Kathy Miller

kmillerwatercolors.com.

Mary Cassatt, the first American Impressionist  

When one thinks of famous American artists, the name of Mary Cassatt rarely comes to mind.  However, Ms. Cassatt holds an important place in art history as the first American Impressionist, producing artwork both in the United States and Europe in the late 19th century.  For decades her works were neglected in the annals of art history, and the value of her work was underplayed in early 20th century art history books. As a female in a predominantly male profession, Cassatt had to exert tremendous perseverance and determination, and overcome many prejudices in order to achieve success.  Neither being an American artist nor an artist of the Impressionist movement was to her advantage either, for in the art market of the last quarter of the 1800's, only European artists who painted in the traditional style were favorably recognized and whose paintings were in demand.  But eventually Mary Cassatt did achieve success as an artist, and that success, and that for which she is most 

"The Bath", 1893

well known, comes from her mother/child portraits depicting a physical closeness and emotional intimacy unlike that of any other artist, as seen in "The Bath" done in 1893.

Mary Stevenson Cassatt was born in 1844, the daughter of a Philadelphia banker.  As a child from a wealthy family, Mary enjoyed privileges that greatly influenced her future.  At age 7, she traveled with her parents and lived in Paris for four years, and upon returning surprised them with the announcement that she wanted to become an artist - a career viewed by society at that time as an unfavorable one for a woman.  Reluctantly, her parents sent her to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art from the ages of 16 to 21.

It was not uncommon for American artists to spend some time studying abroad, in fact it was considered a necessary component of one's career if an artist was to be taken seriously.  So in 1866 at age 22, Mary returned to Paris with her mother where she studied under the tutelage of various painters.  Her studies were temporarily interrupted, however, by the Franco-Prussian War when they were forced to return to America for two years.  During this time she longed for the artistic stimulation of Europe, so upon returning in '71 she traveled extensively to Italy, Spain, Belgium and Holland, all the while studying the art of the great Masters.  Lack of money was obviously not a factor that limited her opportunities for artistic enrichment!   

Cassatt's talents as an artist were clearly developing, for by the young age of 28 one of her paintings was accepted into Paris' 

"The Mandolin Player", 1872

But change was soon to come to Mary Cassatt's artwork, for during her two year absence much had happened in the art scene of Paris, events that would dramatically alter the course of her career forever.  It was then that she was introduced to the art of the Impressionists, in particular, Edward Degas.  As Cassatt later stated, "The first sight of Degas' pictures was the turning point of my artistic life.  How well I remember seeing for the first time his pastels in the window of a picture dealer on the Boulevard Haussmann. I used to go and flatten my nose against that window and absorb all I could of his art.  It changed my life.  I saw art then as I wanted to see it."   

Mary began to incorporate much of what she saw into her own work.  Before long she was personally introduced to Degas, who took a liking to her and her paintings.  As he once said to her, "Most women paint as though they are trimming hats.  Not you."  Through him she was introduced to Monet, Renoir, Pissaro and other Impressionists, and in 1878 was asked to join their group.  After having their works rejected by the Salon judges year after year, these Impressionists decided to form an exhibition of their own - at the same time and in the same vicinity as the Salon Exposition was showing!  Unfortunately, they were the laughing stock of all of Paris, as their works were ridiculed by both art critics and the public alike for their lack of talent!   

Over the years, Cassatt and Degas developed a lasting relationship, both as peers and friends.  He influenced the look of her work dramatically as he taught her about light and color.  This is evident in 

"Little Girl in a Blue Armchair", 1878

Her feeling was that, "There's only one thing in life for a woman; it's to be a mother . . . A woman artist must be . . . capable of making primary sacrifices."   One has to wonder if Ms. Cassatt lived the life of a mother vicariously through the numerous paintings she completed on the subject of motherhood.  Many of them were of her brother Alexander's children.  She adored her nieces and nephew and often invited Alexander and the family to vacation at her lavish home in Paris.  All of her paintings on this theme are wrought with deep love and emotional sensitivity - and today are the ones that garner the highest prices at auction, the most expensive one being sold in 2007 for $6,200,000.  (See "Children Playing with a Dog",1907, at left.)