This study redefines the American artist Mary Cassatt's status in the Parisian avant-garde and in American art, placing her work in the wider context of 19th-century feminism and art theory. Cassatt's art explores a "new woman's" perspective on the spaces of modernity: at the theatre, in the drawing-room and garden, in the studio. Admired by Degas - who invited her to show with the Impressionists in 1877 - Cassatt's work reveals her profound study of old masters and keen responses to contemporary French and Spanish painters. Pollock emphasizes Cassatt's interest in Manet and her influence on American collections of French modernism. She also argues that Cassatt's experimentation with etching and pastel from the late 1880s enabled her to represent children and women without sentiment but with a deepening awareness of a complex psychological charge.
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The American painter Mary Cassatt, who rubbed elbows with the impressionists over a century ago, looks ready for a boom, with a big traveling exhibition of her work touring the Chicago Art Institute, the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts in 1998-1999. It would be difficult to find a more intelligent introductory guide than this one by feminist art critic Griselda Pollock, who teaches social and critical histories at the University of Leeds, England. Pollock's most familiar previous book is Old Mistresses: Women, Art, and Ideology, and she scotches the widespread idea of Mary Cassatt as a soft and wimpy painter of babies, similar to Auguste Renoir, who is also victimized by critics today for his soft female images. Instead, Pollock sees Cassatt as the "painter of modern women" who was unafraid of such tough artistic influences as Degas, Courbet, and Manet. In this clearly written guide, Cassatt's courage shines through, but also her variety. Readers may begin to look at the women and children in the paintings and discern new expressions in their faces, not just the sweet sentiment that has usually been interpreted therein. This is a revelatory book to accompany what looks likely to be a revelatory exhibit. --Benjamin Ivry
From Library Journal
Modern study of Mary Cassatt has been largely, although not entirely, based upon the faultless work of Adelyn Breeskin, Frederick Sweet, and Nancy Mowll Mathews. Now the eight contributors to this huge volume have added truly monumental data on the life and work of Cassatt and to Impressionist art history in general. Six independent essays reveal new aspects of the artist's work and personality. The standout essay is Judith Barter's "Mary Cassatt: Themes, Sources and the Modern Woman." Others cover Cassatt's early realist style, her relationship to Degas, her American exhibitions, and Cassatt's impact upon the formation of art collections in the United States. In addition, there are 300 illustrations, including 124 excellent color plates, and a 25-page illustrated chronology with maps. Essential. British feminist art historian Pollock (Mary Cassatt, LJ 2/15/81) here offers her second book on Cassatt. Part of the respected British "World of Art" paperback series, the book is compact, well illustrated (184 images, 55 in color), and inexpensive. Technical art history terms explained for the introductory reader confirm this as intended for the general public and large libraries. As the back cover makes plain, it is also meant to be a radically new study redefining Cassatt in "the Parisian avant-garde and in American art." But the discussion too often descends to the polemical and cannot be depended upon for factual accuracy; there are sources but no traditional footnotes. The undercurrent of distaste for Cassatt's country of birth and family origins is unnecessary. An optional purchase.?Mary Hamel-Schwulst, Towson Univ., MD
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolute gorgeous outline of the mind of Mary Cassatt,
By A Customer
This review is from: Mary Cassatt: Painter of Modern Women (World of Art) (Paperback)
I am a teen in a class called E.L.P. (Expanded Learning Program) and we were asked to deeply research an eminent person. I am an adorer of Edgar Degas and I knew of the relationship he had with Mary Cassatt. This turned me to do the research on her. I bought this book at the Chicago Art Institue when I toured her work. This gives a great description of the wonderful women behind this artwork that she creates. I believe she should be more emphisized when people think of art. This book really explains who she is. It is a must read!
4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Long winded,
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This review is from: Mary Cassatt: Painter of Modern Women (World of Art) (Paperback)
A tough read. Way too many details and she is all over the place. I bought tghis book as a required text for a class and I would not recommend it again.
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