Mary Cassatt

Born outside of Pittsburgh, Mary Cassatt studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1866 she traveled to Paris, where she eventually settled. After studying the old masters, Cassatt became interested in the work of Gustave Courbet and Édouard Manet. She also developed a close friendship with Edgar Degas, who championed her inclusion in the circle of artists who would become known as the Impressionists, the only American to do so.