Inspired

Young mother sewing Mary Cassatt

     "When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies?  The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods?  Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?"                Neil A. Maxwell


     This beautiful portrait of a mother and child was painted by Mary Cassatt.  I've been a fan of hers since college days when I wrote a paper about her for a class called "Women in the Visual Arts".  Mary was born in 1844 in Pennsylvania.  She had unconventional desires for a woman of her day.  It was not unusual for a man to study art abroad, but a young woman of good breeding did not display competitive, professional ambitions.  After much resistance from her parents she left for Paris in 1866.  She studied and copied the masters for years, finally being accepted into the very conventional and juried Paris Salon.  In 1877 she was invited by Edgar Degas to forsake the salon and exhibit with the avante garde impressionists: Manet, Monet, Renoir and Degas.  Though their exhibitions were ridiculed at first, Mary accepted "with joy"  She said, "I took leave of conventional art.  I began to live."  Degas became her mentor and friend.  Her parents and sister eventually came to live with her in Paris.  She never married or had children. When I finally saw one of her paintings in person I actually got tears in my eyes, it was so gorgeous.  Most of her paintings are of women and children.  They are beautiful and inspiring to me.

After the bath by Mary Cassett

     My sister, Ilona, also inspires me.  She has worked long and hard at becoming an artist.  She has been much more dedicated than me.  Her beautiful works of art can be seen on her website:  www.ilonaterry.com