Mary Cassatt - Embraced Mother and Child

Mary Stevenson Cassatt was born in 1844 and lived a right old age for that time period passing in 1926. She was an artist who had a way of sharing a glimpse into the private life of women and families. She created images of the social and private lives of women. She often emphasized the intimate bond between mothers and children. 

Cassatt was born to an upper-middle class family from Pennsylvania. Born into a family well educated and with a rich background her family believed that travel was very much part of education. She would live for 5 years in Europe and see the sites. Cassatt also spoke German and French. It was while in Europe that she developed the love of drawing and music. Upon returning to her home the family objected to her becoming a professional artist but she went on to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts at the age of 15. She lived the years of the American Civil War going to school and after school continued to study alone and earned no degree. She then moved back to Paris with her mother and attended art school there.