Mary Cassatt between Paris and New York: The Making of a Transatlantic Legacy

by Ruth E. Iskin

The first comprehensive study of Cassatt’s life, work, and legacy through the prism of a transatlantic framework.   This book re-envisions Mary Cassatt in the context of her transatlantic network, friendships, exhibitions, politics, and legacy. Rather than defining her as either an American artist or a French impressionist, author Ruth E. Iskin argues that we can best understand Cassatt through the complexity of her multiple identifications as an American patriot, a committed French impressionist, and a suffragist.   Contextualizing Cassatt’s feminist outlook within the intense pro- and anti-suffrage debates in the United States, Iskin shows how these impacted her artistic representations of motherhood, fatherhood, and older women. Mary Cassatt between Paris and New York also argues for the historical importance of her work as an advisor to American collectors, and demonstrates the role of museums in shaping her legacy, highlighting the combined impact of gender, national, and transnational dynamics.

Genres: Art

344 pages, Hardcover

Published January 28, 2025

Reviews

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to read a new perspective on Mary Cassatt that is way less centered on Degas than most of what taught about her. I did not expect so much of this book to be about suffragettes but I really enjoyed that information and learning more about Cassatt and Louisine Havemeyer.