Portrait of a Female Artist
Mary Cassatt: Impressions of the World Away from Men
From a young age, Cassatt had always dared to be bold. She traveled all over Europe in her youth, believing that the best lessons could be learned through worldly experience and observation. At age fifteen, Cassatt convinced her parents to let her attend the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to pursue her professional aspirations. Soon becoming frustrated with the slow pace and condescending attitudes of her male teachers and peers, Cassatt began her own independent study of the Old Masters, eventually moving to Paris in 1866. There, she honed her skills by taking private lessons with renowned artists, copying the Old Masters’ works, and sketching at the Louvre.
Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun: A Study in Courtly Charm and Artistic Empathy
Her portraits are a clear and vivid depiction of Marie’s likeness, featuring delicate pastel colors and showcasing her dainty features. The fact that these images are so widespread has perhaps contributed to our preoccupation and fascination with Marie Antoinette and the surprising but powerful empathy that people feel towards her. Vigée’s works have almost certainly shaped our perception of Antoinette’s cultural identity, laden with regal elegance and youthful vulnerability, especially in contrast to the larger presence of the French Rococo movement.
Artemisia Gentileschi: Female Empowerment in the Artistic Mythos
“I will show Your Illustrious Lordship what a woman can do.” These words, spoken by the Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, embody the dauntless spirit of one of the Renaissance’s most famous painters.
