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 and 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, which opened in Philadelphia not far from where Cassatt grew up, presents 30 paintings, pastels, and prints, along with examples of the artist’s personal correspondence. —Elena Clavarino