Mary Cassatt

A central figure in the French Impressionist movement, the American-born artist Mary Cassatt is celebrated for her distinctive portrayals of women in both private and public life. This richly illustrated book explores Cassatt’s paintings, pastels and prints through the material objects she repeatedly depicted and the layered meanings they contain. Teacups, washbasins and fans evoke the daily rituals of caregiving and womanhood in nineteenth-century Paris, while resisting reduction to mere symbols of femininity. Through these material details, Cassatt reveals the complex reality of modern women’s lives. A small-format companion to the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition Mary Cassatt: Radical Impressionist, this book features essays from Senior Curator Sarah Moulden and Assistant Curator Luke Uglow on Cassatt’s engagement with modern women, as well as the shifting critical response to her work. In addition, contemporary Scottish artist Caroline Walker reflects on Cassatt’s enduring legacy and her interest in the depiction of women and children.