Mary Cassatt - Artist Study

 

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Mary Cassatt is one of my favorite impressionist painters.  During our Unit Study of Pennsylvania which you can find here,  we had the great joy of taking a closer look at the life and works of Mary Cassatt. I absolutely love the way she captured mothers and children in real life situations.  She was never a mother herself, but she painted them in ways that still speak to the mothers of today.  

We started out by watching:  Mary Cassatt: Getting to Know The World's Greatest Artists which gives a really good overview of her life in a way that children will enjoy.

Then we read:  Mary Cassatt: Extraordinary Impressionist Painter by Barbara Herkert.  Inside this book you will find that The Louvre Museum is where Mary would paint, copying the Masters.

Help your children learn more about the classroom of Mary Cassatt by working through, Exploring the Louvre.  Your children will learn about geometry in a fun way as they look for shapes throughout the museum.  It is a great way to tour this great museum where many artist's work is on display.

One of the Great Masters that Mary admired most was Edgar Degas.  Reading:  Edgar Degas: Paintings that Dance by Maryann Cocca-Leffler will help you to learn more about the artist that inspired Mary with his graceful paintings of ballerinas.

Mary loved to paint members of her own family doing normal, everyday things such as this mother and daughter enjoying Breakfast in Bed.

When you look at her art, you get a glimpse into what her real life was like.  For example, in the above painting it shows Mrs. Cassatt Reading to Her Grandchildren.

The picture I chose for my children to color was of a Young Mother Sewing.  

One of the ways Mary learned to paint was by copying the Masters.  You can have your children learn from Mary Cassatt by having them Color Their Own Mary Cassatt Masterpieces for them to hang up in their own room or give as gifts to grandparents.

Your child might enjoy painting one of her Paint-by-Number Kits to get a better feel for how she painted her artwork.

I hope that you and your children enjoy learning about this great artist.  What is your favorite Mary Cassatt painting?  Leave me a comment and let me know.  I love to hear from my readers.