Mrs Cassatt Reading to her Grandchildren 1880

Mary Cassatt, an American expatriate, painted this intimate oil-on-canvas scene of a grandmother reading to her grandchildren in the late 19th or early 20th century. Cassatt was one of a small number of female artists who gained recognition during the Impressionist era in France. She challenged the established norms of the art world. As a woman, Cassatt had limited access to traditional artistic training and professional networks. Her work reflects a focus on domestic subjects and the lives of women and children, a theme often overlooked by male artists of the time. The Impressionists aimed to capture fleeting moments and subjective experiences of everyday life, and Cassatt uses these techniques in her paintings of intimate domestic scenes. By studying Cassatt’s paintings, letters, and exhibition history, and also understanding the broader social and institutional context of the late 19th century, we can better appreciate the artist’s achievement in forging a path for women in the arts and challenging traditional artistic conventions.