Women in the the Visual Arts and Literature

The American Impressionist: Mary Cassatt

Although the Impressionist art movement primarily consisted of French artists, American artists contributed to the movement as well. One of the most prominent American Impressionists is Mary Cassatt.

23-cent Mary Cassatt stamp
This 23-cent stamp was designed by Dennis Cyall and contains a portrait of Cassatt. The stamp was issued as part of the Great Americans Issue on November 4, 1988. The ceremony was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at her former school, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was known for her scenes of the domestic. She originally studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts but in 1866 left America to travel and study art in Europe. In 1848 she eventually settled down in Paris where she became friends with painter and sculptor, Edgar Degas. She spent most of her remaining life in France and was accepted as an Impressionist artist.

5-cent postage stamp featuring Mary Cassatt's painting The Boating Party
This 5-cent stamp was issued on November 17, 1966, as part of the American Painting Series. The stamp was designed by Robert R. Jones and features Cassatt’s painting “The Boating Party.”
 
refer to caption
One of the colorful postage stamps issued August 7, 2003, featuring Mary Cassatt's "Children Playing on the Beach".
refer to caption
One of the colorful postage stamps issued August 7, 2003, featuring Mary Cassatt's "Child in a Straw Hat".