Mary Cassatt's paintings and prints have long been treasured as some of
the finest examples of Impressionist art. A rebel by the Victorian
standards of her time, Mary Cassatt moved from the art schools of staid
Philadelphia to the boulevards of Paris, where the young Impressionist
movement was flourishing. Degas, her friend and mentor, encouraged her
involvement in the new art movement.
Cassatt's luminous, observant, and innovative works-chiefly interiors
with women and children-helped define Impressionism and have been
compared to Raphael's paintings for their beauty and dignity. Frank
Getlein, noted art critic and historian, has selected 72 of Cassatt's
finest works, each reproduced here in full color. His accompanying text
relates the intimate details of her life to her paintings while clearly
defining her relation to fellow artists and her place in modern art.
The publication of this book marks the first time that so many of
Cassatt's paintings and prints, some rarely seen by American audiences,
have been made available at a popular price.