Mary Cassatt: A Life

by Nancy Mowll Mathews

One of the few women Impressionists, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) had a life of paradoxes: American born, she lived and worked in France; a classically trained artist, she preferred the company of radicals; never married, she painted exquisite and beloved portraits of mothers and children. This book provides new insight into the personal life and artistic endeavors of this extraordinary woman.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Art History, France

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 1998

Reviews

[Meghann Cantey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ A list of people would have been appreciated, and I felt like the timeline got muddled at some points. For instance, a family member died at the end of the chapter and reappeared in the next one. I think. Except that, I loved it. The writing was great and easy to read. Tons of photos and pictures of her work. Mathews did a great job of capturing both Cassatt’s personal life and her career without trying to make it fit a narrative of feminism or Victorian life or anything else. It was just facts and very little, if any, speculation except to say what the speculation might have been at the time of an event. I especially loved learning about her interactions with novelists of her time. There were many influential composers in Pairs during the same years she was there but they didn’t get a mention. I think that would have been interesting to know too. Did Mary Cassatt like music? I don’t know. The book is 333 large pages already though, and would not have fit in my purse had it been any bigger, so maybe I can live without knowing.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative and enjoyable read. What fun to discover that Cassatt was not as sweet as her images might lead you to believe, but an outspoken and even snarky woman. And she didn't go around mooning over the fact that she herself had no children: her career was her interest and her passion and she seems never to have missed having a more conservative life path.

The author offers plenty of anecdotes and shows us the day-in-day-out JOB of making a living as an artist. After telling Cassatt's life story in detail, she finishes up with a chapter about her legacy and about the ways in which her life and that of other women artists has changes and been misread by successive generations of historians and critics-- valuable general information.

Always appreciated in an art book: plenty of illustrations, and all of them placed immediately after they are mentioned in the text.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a book I have just finished reading makes me want to learn even more about the subject, I know it was a well-written book. This is how I felt about this Cassatt biography. While I would have liked Cassatt's personality to have emerged more fully, I still strongly recommend this biography.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulous research but not a gripping read. Written by a college art historian whose lecture at a local museum I'd attended. Glad to read about a woman artist, especially one as talented as Cassatt. Recommend!

[Lelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very engaging. I appreciate Cassatt’s vigor and determination to pursue her passion, even though it took her along a different path from most women. And I enjoyed the insights into Cassatt’s art and the Impressionist movement. The book dealt with themes I like to explore: how does someone find their path when it lies outside their family/cultural conditioning; how does an artist find her style/voice and make money; how do women handle the cultural expectation that marriage/motherhood is their ultimate purpose; how to stay open to influence yet true to an authentic vision; how do we navigate aging so that we can become elders yet remain curious and open-minded?

I did wish for a little more sense of Cassatt’s own voice. Quotes by her seemed rather rare and I’m not sure if that was Mathews style or if there aren't many primary sources, letters, etc., written by Cassatt.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have an affinity for the only American Impressionist--Mary Cassatt--who was fiercely independent and talented. I have many books on the Impressionists and this is the definitive biography of Cassatt, a great resource on the artist and her family.

[Sue Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book about an extraordinary artist and a woman who was truly ahead of her time.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Mary Cassatt. Say no more.