Mary Stevenson Cassatt

Mary Cassatt: the American in Paris who painted women and children with a revolutionary's spirit. Born to a wealthy Pennsylvania family, her father allegedly declared he would "almost rather see you dead" than a professional artist. Undeterred, she packed her paintbrushes for Europe and became the only American to exhibit with the Impressionists. A close friend of the notoriously cantankerous Edgar Degas, their relationship was a mix of mutual admiration and spirited debate. Rumor has it Degas once grumbled, "I will not admit that a woman can draw that well." Whether he truly said it or not, it captures the essence of a woman who broke barriers with every brushstroke. Fiercely independent and a passionate advocate for women's suffrage, she left a legacy of art that is both tender and tenacious.