this is a great video that I found on one of my favorite blogs http://www.3pipe.net
http://youtu.be/VIvGeZi4xCQ
This is one of my favorite paintings. It is such a real depiction of a bored little girl. Cassatt was concerned with portraying the real and truthfulness of children who were seen as little adults till 19th century. Around this time there were a lot of concern and education reform about children not being young adults and having different needs.
The model for the little girl was the daughter of a friend of Degas' and he is said to have advised Cassatt in the way to setup the space for this painting. The subject matter of mother and child was one of Cassatt's favorites.
The odd angle, the tipped up floor, leaving an empty space to the left of the center of the painting are all influences of Japanese prints that is common to find in both Degas' and Cassatt's work. Even if Degas did advise Cassatt, her distinct characteristic as an artist comes thorough and it is easy to distinguish her style from any other artist's.
http://youtu.be/VIvGeZi4xCQ
 |
| Mary Cassatt, Young Girl in a Blue Arm Chair, 1878 (The National Gallery, Washington DC) |
The model for the little girl was the daughter of a friend of Degas' and he is said to have advised Cassatt in the way to setup the space for this painting. The subject matter of mother and child was one of Cassatt's favorites.
The odd angle, the tipped up floor, leaving an empty space to the left of the center of the painting are all influences of Japanese prints that is common to find in both Degas' and Cassatt's work. Even if Degas did advise Cassatt, her distinct characteristic as an artist comes thorough and it is easy to distinguish her style from any other artist's.
Many thanks for the mention! From your recent posts on the topic it seems like Cassatt has captured your imagination. She is truly a fascinating character.
ReplyDeleteYou readers may be interested in the accompanying article to the video you linked to above, so I have included a direct link below.
The Passion of Mary Cassatt
It also includes links to more videos, including a presentation by art historian/Cassatt expert Linda Nochlin.
Keep up the great work!
Kind Regards
H