Understanding History and Society through Images, 1776-1914

Brief Biographies of Howard Pyle and Mary Cassatt

Howard Pyle

Howard Pyle was born on March 5, 1853 in Wilmington, Delaware. Pyle's mother influenced his early literary education and interest in art. "She habitually read to us from the very best literature of the day, which, in 1860, was very good indeed." ² Since Wilmington, Delaware lacked any art galleries or museums before 1871, Pyle's mother hung prints on the walls of their house and shared her love of illustrated weeklies. ³ Even though Pyle's parents didn't believe studying art was on the Quaker agenda, he studied for three years at the Art Students League in Philadelphia and went into illustration to earn a living. Pyle returned to Delaware in 1879 and produced a number of books including Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates, the Story of King Arthur and his Knights, and Men of Iron. Pyle founded the Howard Pyle School of Art (1900-1905) in Wilmington, Delaware which had about 200 students during his teaching career, 50% of whom were female which was unheard of at the time.

Pyle was known as "The Father of American Illustration" and created stereotypes that will remain in people's minds (rakish pirates, tough cowboys, and noble knights). Even modern stereotypes of his flamboyant, gypsy-like pirate dress has been emulated on costumes worn by Errol Flynn and Johnny Depp. Pyle's teaching methods encouraged his students to "jump into their paintings" by taking excursions to historical sites and performing impromptu dramas using props and costumes meant to stimulate imagination, emotion, atmosphere, and the observation of humans in action. Pyle stressed historical accuracy, used precise details, and direct knowledge by going to the source

Mary Cassatt

Mary Stevenson Cassatt was born in 1844 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. Her father was a successful stockbroker and land speculator while her mother came from a banking family. Her parents believed that travel was integral to education. Although her parents objected to her becoming a professional artist, they relented and she studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1860 to1862. She convinced her parents to let her study in Paris in 1865 and had private lessons from the old masters. She had her own "Grand Tour", defining herself as a professional woman artist. In 1894, Cassatt remarked, "Above all give me France—women do not have to fight for recognition here, if they do serious work." ⁴ Even though her painting Mandolin Player (under the name Mary Stevenson) was accepted at the Paris Salon in 1868, Cassatt became impatient with the Salon's artistic conservatism. ⁵ Edgar Degas invited her to join the Impressionists where she was the only American member. Influenced by Degas and his pastels and the Impressionists, Cassatt revised her technique, composition, and use of color and light.

Her subjects were often based on members of her family, and although she never married or had children of her own, she was known for creating images of the social and private lives of women, with a particular emphasis on the intimate bonds between mothers and children. Cassatt traveled through France, Italy, and Spain. Using big, long strokes, Cassatt painted ordinary people doing ordinary things such as knitting, reading, and sewing. Cassatt was the only American artist who was closely affiliated with the French Impressionists and she participated in four of their exhibitions between 1879 and 1886. ⁶ As an Impressionist, Cassatt was interested in capturing the fleeting gesture rather than falling back on more conventional poses. ⁷ Maybe this is why Little Girl in a Blue Armchair is so refreshing to me: there is no sugar-coating for this exhausted, inelegant posture!