About Mary Cassatt
It was the first time when I got to know her reading a book about her drawing, and her life. I was impressed by her picture that I visited her special art exhibition. She was known wide from about 10 years ago in America, but she is still unknown in Asian countries, including Korea. This time, I would like to talk about her, and make her known by other many people.
Mary is an american painter who lived almost all of her life in Paris, France. She was born in 1844, and died in 1926. Once when she was young, her parents brought her to a big art museum in Paris. From that moment she determined to be an artist. At that time, people thought a woman has to be a good mother, and a good wife other than anything else. Absoutlutely her parents opposed to her future dream, being an artist. However, no one could change her mind. Finally she was sent to a art school named, the Pennsylvania academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. She learned the basic skills of art in there for 13 years. Then she went to Spain, France, and other European countries. After many visits. she decied to settle in Paris, France in 1874. In 1877 she became acquainted with Degas, one of the impressionist. Later in 1879, Degas introduced her to the impressionist group, and she had about 5~6 exhibitions with them. Her brother Alexander helped the group buying some pictures whenever they has problems with money. When she settled her place as a artist, she also had some requests to draw a picture of a building in Chicago. It is not certain about the reason of her death, but she was very depressed at the end of her life. The death of the best supporter, and friend Degas, and World War 1 were the main reasins of her depression. She was at the age 83.
The most special characteristis of her pictures are describing the realtionship of mother, and child. Although she had no child, she knew the true meaning of maternity. Many pictures of hers depict the scene when mother is hugging a baby, or taking a bath of a baby, sewing attached to a baby, and so on. She used pastels, and oil paints to show the warmth of deep love. She understood the love more than any other mothers.
I am expecting the day that we have an exhibition of her paintings in Korea. I would not force people to love this artist because each of us has differnet tastes. I just want you to remember her name. Mary Cassatt...........
[References]
*Web pages*
Mary Cassatt
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/cassatt.mary.html, visited 4 December, 2004
http://www.tfaoi.com/newsmu/nmusld.htm, visited 4 December, 2004
*Magazines & Newpapers*
David Minthron, ''Proof' is in the exhibit for Mary Cassatt', Boston Herald, United States, on page 8, 2 November 2004
Claudia Parsons, 'Unseen Works by Impressionist Mary Cassatt unveiled', Washington Post. DC, on page 7, 3 November 2004
*Books*
Nancy Mowll Mathews, "Mary Cassatt : A Life", Yale University press(New Haven, CT, USA), printed October 1, 1998
앙리 루아레트(Angri Ruaret), 드가-무희의 화가(Degas-Artist of a dancing girl), 시공사(Sigongsa, located in Seoul, South Korea), 10 January, 1998
