Mary Cassatt at Work

A celebrated member of the French Impressionists, Pennsylvania-born artist Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) committed herself to a career as a professional artist and made the social, intellectual, and working lives of modern women a core subject of her prints, paintings, and pastels. 

Though recognized in her lifetime for her intimate depictions of women and children, Cassatt has yet to be appreciated for her serious engagement with the realities of gender and labor in her portrayal of other traditionally feminine activities, such as embroidery, reading, or making social appearances. 

Cassatt's work was both inspired by and contributed to the feminism movement that began to take root in the 1840s. Cassatt was outspoken about women's equality throughout her lifetime and used her art to support the women’s suffrage movement 

The Philadelphia Museum of Art's exhibition, Mary Cassatt at Work—the first major Cassatt retrospective in 25 years—foregrounds the intricacies of Cassatt's contribution to feminism and evolving artistic practice and situates her artwork within the broader context of Cassatt's upbringing and life in Paris. 

The exhibition is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through September 8, 2024. 

Read reviews of Mary Cassatt at Work in The Guardian and The New York Times.