Translated material
Stubborn and tender Mary Kassat
Mary Kassat (1844-1926) is considered an American artist, although she lived most of her life in France.
In order to realize the place of the Cassat in world artistic culture, we must slightly move away from the usual stereotype, according to which the Kassat sang motherhood, which is famous. In a strange way, the opportunity to quickly view most of the Cassat works (see, for example, the site [1]) gives a somewhat “displaced” idea of its work and its artistic ideals. Nevertheless, in modern times, the artist is characterized not so much by what he writes, but first of all, as he writes.
Mary Kassat began in the spirit of Kor; Since 1868, for ten years, her work has been exhibited in the cabin. “New Painting” for her began with the strongest impression of the pastel Degas, which she saw in the window of the store in 1875, where the paintings were sold. She chose Degas with her mentor - at first “absentee”. However, at that time Mary Kassat was already over thirty, and her life was quite difficult.
Mary Kassat was born in the United States, in Pennsylvania, in a rich and educated family. Her adolescence took place in the “instructive” travels to European capitals traditional for this family; In 1855, the future artist was able to visit the World Exhibition in Paris.
At the age of 15, Mary Kassat, deciding to become a professional artist, entered the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She remained unhappy with the teaching there and in 1866 she left to study in Paris.
The Kassat was undoubtedly known that women were not accepted in the Parisian Ecole des Beaux-Arts. For an artistically gifted and educated girl, the only opportunity to study in Paris was private studios of artists - she studied with Zheir, with Tom Kuture (he studied Manet at one time). A potential meeting place with brothers on craft and future colleagues for Mary Kassat remained the Louvre, where those who wanted to receive official permission to copy paintings.
Note that in France until the beginning of the 1870s, women could not visit the cafe, and it was there that there was a violent artistic and literary life, political and other circles arose and broke up there, fresh newspapers and premieres in theaters were read and discussed. The role of the cafe Gerbua in the formation of the "Batignol" group of impressionists is known.
The mid-1860s in Paris is a time of art searches; The educated Parisian society reacts violently to the paintings in the “Salon de Refesses, 1863); It is characteristic that the initiative itself to collect and set the work rejected by the passenger compartment (this is more than 3 thousand out of 5 thousand presented!) Belonged to Emperor Napoleon III.
Some of the artists took their rejected canvases; Nevertheless, 871 work was exhibited for public viewing, including “Breakfast on the grass” of Mana. For the first time, artists were able to show their works without any official selection only in 1884, in the “Salon of Independent Artists”.
Mary Kassat represented her work in the Paris salon since 1868. For almost ten years, her work was accepted, but the artist was less and less pleased.
During the Franco-Prussian war, the Kassat went home to the States, but there part of her work died during the sad fire in Chicago.
Having survived the period of severe doubts, the Kassat was able to return to Europe thanks to the order of the Archbishop Pittsburgh to copy the work of Correvo, which were in Parma. In Italy, Kassat was waiting for success and, which was especially important, there Mary Kassat finally found certain social positions precisely as a professional artist. After a trip to Spain, very fruitful in creative terms, the Kassat decided to completely settle in France.
In 1877, the two works of the Kassat were rejected by the salon: it was a cruel blow for her. The same time dates back to her personal acquaintance with Degas, who visited her studio and invited her to participate in the exhibition of “independent” in 1879. Subsequently, until 1886, the Kassat considered herself belonging to the circle of impressionists.
In the book about the Kassat, written by her younger contemporary, critic Ashil Segar, Kassat and Degas, a lot of space is given. They were friendly - how much friends could have a character with the character of Degas. Kassat always considered him his mentor. For the income from the exhibition of 1879, the Kassat almost secretly bought one Deg and one Monet.
Degas highly appreciated the Kassat as graphics even before a personal acquaintance; It was Degas that opened the Kassat with the possibility of engraving.
The 1890s were especially fruitful for the Kassat. This period, in particular, includes its colored engravings (water, dry needle), which today amaze with economical in choosing color and conciseness of execution. “Technically” here is undoubtedly the influence of Japanese engraving, the interest of which was captured by Europe after the exhibition of 1890, but the individuality of the cassat is striking. It is not surprising that her engravings were a huge success.
Cassat’s work can be called “radiant”: in addition to portraits of young women with young children, she has many beautiful female portraits, devoid of any sentimentality in which it is often reproached. It would be nice to remember here that many of her work were registered, and here her attitude to the “material” was hardly different, for example, from the position of the Wistler-Portraitist.
Mary Kassat lived a long life, remaining active and when the state of health (the main thing is almost complete loss of vision) deprived her of the opportunity to draw. For example, for many years she participated in the collection of the American Havemeyer couple with a unique collection of impressionists painting, as well as in many other important cultural and public endeavors.