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The Arts Intel Report

Mary Cassatt at Work

Mary Cassatt, Lydia Seated in the Garden with a Dog on Her Lap, 1878–79.

May 18 – Sept 8, 2024
2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130, United States

In the latter half of the 19th century, American painters flocked to France to learn from their French counterparts. One such artist was Mary Cassatt, who was born in 1844 into a privileged Pennsylvania household—her father was a stockbroker, her mother came from a banking family. Cassatt lived much of her adult life in Paris, where she achieved acceptance as an artist. Her paintings and pastels showcase women going about their lives, and what seems basic was in some ways radical. She captured women being women—the ongoing work of social appearances, raising children, and filling the hours. This exhibition, not far from where Cassatt grew up, presents 130 artworks. —Elena Clavarino