I have known about the work of Mary Cassatt for a long time. I think that she turned up first in my reading about Degas’ pastel techniques. A large proportion of her work was undertaken in this medium. A friend of mine has recently loaned me two DVDs about her work which I have found a real eye-opener. The view which I had previously formed of her was of an interesting but relatively minor associate of the Impressionist movement. This turns out to be a gross under-estimate of her interest and importance.
The films I have been watching have made it clear that, apart from anything else, she was indeed a superb exponent of pastels, although her work ranged much more widely than that …. including a major mural. I had not appreciated previously what a wonderful command she had of composition in any medium, and the psychological subtleties of her portraits are exemplary. More than this, Cassatt played a central role in the introduction of Impressionism to the art scene in North America. Clearly she was much more than a peripheral associate of Edgar Degas, who evidently admired and respected her work, treating her as a valued colleague.
The two videos I have been watching are: Mary Cassatt: painting the modern woman, in the “Exhibition on Screen” series produced by Seventh Art productions, and, Mary Cassatt, in the “Great Women Artists” series produced by Kultur. They take rather different approaches but each is worth attention in its own way.