Customer Reviews

Mary Cassatt: Paintings and Prints

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a huge fan of Mary Cassatt as well as the Impressionist. This book as beautiful illustrations and very easy to read and easy to understand explanations about the paintings. I first checked this out at the library and enjoyed it so much, purchased it through an Amazon reseller for my personal enjoyment.

She called herself one of the Independents. The world remembers her as the Impressionist who painted "The Boating Party," the choice for a first-class U.S. postage stamp and one of the most widely reproduced paintings. She was behind America's first purchase of Impressionist art: a Degas painting. In fact, friend and mentor Edgar Degas advised her on the farther window light and floor for "Little Girl in an Armchair" and praised "Girl Arranging her Hair," the Japanese woodblock print inspired "Bath," and "Mother and Boy."

The book's first plate, "The Bacchante," lets viewers know what MARY CASSATT: PAINTINGS AND PRINTS were all about: women communicating with others and hinting at states of mind behind beautifully lighted and shaded fabrics, such as "Woman with a Red Zinnia"; flesh, such as the swiftly scribbled modeling to "Mother, Young Daughter and Son"; and furnishings, such as the Opera House banquette and chandelier ovals taking up the ovals from the figure and reflected figure of her sister "Lydia Leaning on her Arms, Seated in a Loge." Art critic and historian Frank Getlein backs his well-written text with 72 well-chosen plates. His book and Griselda Pollock's MARY CASSATT: PAINTER OF MODERN WOMEN give the perfect examples for Michel Melot's THE IMPRESSIONIST PRINT, Paul Smith's IMPRESSIONISM, Gary Tinterow's ORIGINS OF IMPRESSIONISM, and Helene Barbara Weinberg et al's AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM AND REALISM.

I love this book. Especially her pastel drawings. Never tired of looking at them. Very enjoyable and lots to learn from!

I love this book. I will pick it up at random and just browse the beautiful photographs. This book includes a lot of paintings that you don't usually see, the lesser ones that are not as famous.

My first review was 5 stars, but I had not opened the book. There is a 2"x4" moisture stain at the top corner of 3/4 of the pages. I'm sure the seller's description did not say it was stained. I would not have purchased the book with such a stain.