Mary Cassatt- The Artist

Mary was an impressionist. Her most common subjects were women in private and social situations. She specifically focused on the bond between a mother and her child. Usually, mothers were painted together with their young children. Men almost never make appearances in Cassat's work. In fact, the man in The Boating Party is one of the first men she ever painted. She wanted to try painting a man to show that she could paint more than just women and children. She wanted to show off her skill set.