Mary Cassatt the Notable American Artist - Assignment Example

Mary Cassatt (May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) Mary Cassatt is one of the most celebrated and notable American artists belonging to the Impressionist art movement that had roots in France. Cassatt used the visual effects of impressionism art to bring out unique but subtle aspects of the people that she painted. She managed to draw attention to aspects that the eye would have otherwise missed in a normal painting. She managed to bring out the essence and personality of individuals through paint and brush. These effects were in harmony with time that presently one can have a vivid sense of time, place and culture of her paintings. The image in Figure 1 is Cassatt’s painting of her Miss Mary Ellison and in the image she demonstrates the use of color to bring out the calm mood of a strong woman (National Art Gallery).  Figure 1   According to the National Art Gallery, Degas also introduced Cassatt in the asymmetrical styles employed by Japanese artists and the use of bright colors. The use of bright colors according to Web Museum demonstrated a mood of gentleness that served to brighten by her constant use of the “golden lighting.” These aspects worked in harmony with the family and children which was the dominant theme in most of her works as demonstrated in figure 2. Cassatt was always a quick learner who learnt the basics about a particular style in art and instead of reproducing the same pieces; she would always ensure that she employed her innovativeness to come up with impressive masterpieces. Figure 2   The best example is her portrayal of the techniques she learnt from Japanese art for instance asymmetry and wood block print. She was able to mould these techniques in such a way that they fit so perfectly within her own impressionsim themes. I look at one of the works of Cassatt, “The Little Girl in Blue Armchair” (Figure 1) in order to relate it with its historical context, to establish the impact it had during the historical context, and the importance of the piece in contemporary art.   The painting of the Little Girl in Blue Armchair was done in 1878 and it painted in an oil canvas. The painting depicted the image of a little girl relaxingly sprawled in a chair. As outlined by National Art Gallery, the work demonstrated the keen observation of Cassatt in the way she managed to emphasize and display on an aspect that would otherwise be considered subtle and inconsequential. Cassatt manages to display the innocence of the little girl as she sits in the chair in a childlike manner. In a unique fashion of impressionism art Mary managed to use color, everyday life and light to demonstrate the beauty in an otherwise normal posture of a little girl. The impressionism group began as a movement to oppose the rules that dictated that art was supposed to resemble photographs (Mattern 23). Figure 3: The Girl in Little Blue Armchair  However, the Impressionist wanted a form of art that was liberal and that allowed the artists to depict life as it was using color and light to emphasize on important aspects. Cassatt was brought up in a liberal family. Despite the fact that women during the 1800s were expected to stay at home and take care of children, Cassatt’s mother was educated. Cassatt’s parents also allowed her to further her studies in Europe despite all the cultural and political hurdles evident in America during the 1800s (Mattern 14). Although Cassatt travelled a lot and was exposed to gender discrimination and stereotyping, she still managed to learn various forms of art through her observation. Her aggressiveness in art was perhaps fuelled by the discriminations she experienced as a woman in the field of art. According to Mattern, it was unusual in the 1800s for a woman to pursue her career dreams let alone travel abroad to pursue further studies (16).   The work was made after Cassatt had been exposed to the essentials of Impressionist art and she had also travelled a lot and learnt the various painting styles employed by the Japanese. Perhaps Cassatt wanted to demonstrate that being a woman and having been born and educated in America, she could still learn foreign styles in art and actually produce works that showed her mastery. According to National Art Gallery, one of the major highlights of Cassatt’s works were her ability to emphasize on clarity and structure. Figure 1 demonstrates clarity in colors, contrast and contour of as employed by Cassatt. Cassatt has even clarified on the facial expression of the girl and the posture, thereby managing to bring about the concept of everyday life of impressionism. Her mastery in the use of colors have brought out the curves of the arms of the chair very smoothly. A single glance of the piece of art gives the impression of an artist who is neat and very detailed. The posture of the girl and the innocent expression of her face bring out calmness, peace and the essence of nature. The painting also demonstrates lack of symmetry because the girl is not placed at the center of the painting. Cassatt employed so much clarity and detail in the painting perhaps to demonstrate her mastery of the impressionism styles and the Japanese style of painting. Figure 4   The Impact in the 1800s  According to Brettell, modern reality in art can be demonstrated by the representation of objects or subjects not previously used (87). Cassatt in the painting managed to use various aspects that had not been used by artists thereby playing a significant role in bringing about modern reality during the 1800s. Cassatt paints a small girl sprawled in giant chair in a huge room full of upholstery. Brettel attributes Cassatt’s use of these features as an attempt to demonstrate the little stature of feminity in a vast world dominated by men (89). These claims could be true because Cassatt had an encounter with female discrimination when she was denid a place at an art school in France just because women were not allowed into the school. The large room represents the vast opportunities for women and the upholstery represents the hurdles that women have to undergo before being in a position to take full advantage of these opportunities. Cassatt struggled to pursue a profession in a male dominated field and eventually she managed to have her name inscribed in the artists’ hall of fame. The painting could have had a possible awakening of other female artists who would have otherwise been intimidated by the challenges. Cassatt’s combination of different artistic styles to emphasize on the potential of impressionsism art could also have had an impact on the manner in which other artists percieved art. In the painting, Cassatt even managed to incorporate the Japanese asymmetry. According to Brettell, Cassatt joined other artists like James Tissot in demonstrating modernity in a transparent manner such that there was no doubt that she was ushering in new approaches that were later followed by her contemporaries. Figure 5 Significance of Cassatt’s Work Today  The painting by Cassatt provides for the contemporary society a chance to view the photographic image of feminism during the 1800s. According to Brettell, feminism was a subject as tiny and inconsequential like the painting of the little girl in a large room (82). Most people did not see any hope of feminism growing to the current state. Therefore, the painting promotes the historical undertanding of the society during the 1800s from an unbiased source. Impressionsim art major concern is to capture the glance of a scene just the way it is without exeggeration. Therefore, Cassatt’s painting manages to depict the feelings, state and the experiences of the 1800s woman. The painting is also significant because it demonstrates the genius that can be borne out of combining different artsitic styles. The painting by Cassett contains styles borrowed from the Japanese for instance block print and asymmetry. Modern artists enjoy more freedom in terms of styles and artists can take advantage of the freedom to come up with masterpieces. Modern artists also enjoy appreciation and support from art lovers and at least a modern artist can comfortably earn a living from art alone. From the painting, one appreicates how Cassatt spent her life struggling to learn art and embrace new styles and approaches. Her depiction of the family and children became her trademark. The research has significantly improved my perception of the “Little Girl in a Blue Armchair.” Intitially the painting just seemed like another Impressionist oil painting but through research I have learnt that the painting and the painter both represent a very important period in the history of art. The fact that Cassatt wa born in America but went on to pursue a painting career in Europe where women painters were few, implies that Cassatt was a determined individual with the zeal to pursue her dreams. Although she met hurdles she still managed to learn various styles that eventually singled her out as one of the greatest American Impressionist artists. The painting quality and uniqueness of the painting demonstrates the uniqueness of a genius artists who incorporated styles from Japan into Impressionist art. The lighting, the contours and the colors have all been used to put emphasis on two important aspects in the painting; the girl and the space. All these aspects represent the challenges faced by women during the 1800s. In essence, the painting is proof enough that the 1800s woman was just as competent a painter as men artists despite the hurdles placed on way way. Works Cited Brettell, Richard R. Modern Art, 1851-1929: Capitalism and Representation. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. Mattern, Joanne. Mary Cassat. Minnesota: Avdo Publishing Group, 2005. Print. National Art Gallery. "The Collection." 2012. National Art Gallery. 23 February 2012. Web. . Web Museum. "Mary Cassat." 19 August 2002. Web Museum. 23 February 2012. Web. . Read More