Mary Cassatt and Thomas Eakins

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The world of art has always been a kind of “Boy's Club”. Artwork was made by men, and for men. And what was true centuries ago, is still true today: Men want naked women. Of course in the 19^th century these sentiments were hidden under technical skills such as composition, brushstrokes, and even colors that were used. Women couldn't possibly understand art, and they were unfairly judged in the French art world, thus receiving less opportunities to showcase their skills. However, as the world began to change, it inevitably affected the art world, thankfully for the better. 

Mary Cassatt, In the Box. 1879.

 In the 19th Century, Impressionism was gaining popularity. Impressionists were concerned with depicting a fleeting moment, and how sunlight affected the subjects they were painting. These artists completely rejected the rules of the prior movements in France. They did not care for depth of field, or realistic depictions. Instead, they utilized visible and bold brushstrokes, and sketchy compositions, which looks "unfinished" to some critics. 

Although Impressionism gained popularity, it wasn't immediately accepted by the critics in France. So much so, that impressionists were often forced to exhibit in salons that they curated themselves. The Impressionists were thought of as the "outcasts" of the art world in Paris. However, these outcasts did not accept other outcasts. Women rarely exhibited any work in French salons.

Of course the male artists weren't the only ones to blame. In the 19th Century, women still fulfilled the generic gender roles imposed by society: They were meant to stay at home, cook, clean, raise kids. Women were not expected to educate themselves or to meddle in politics. The same could be said for the art world. Women were discouraged early on from becoming artists. It was not thought of as an appropriate occupation. Mary Cassatt experienced this first hand. Even though she was born in America, (where we can argue there was a much greater stride for women's rights being made) her father did not approve of her choice to be a professional artist and attend The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In fact, she was born into a prominent family in Pennsylvania, and her father was worried that she would be exposed "to feminist ideas and the bohemian behavior of some of the male students".

Cassatt eventually quit the Academy, because she was fed up with the unequal treatment of male and female students, and left for Europe. She painted in Europe, but had a very slow start. It wasn't until her good friend Edgar Degas invited her to showcase her work at independent salons, that she began to become associated with the Impressionists.

Thomas Eakins, Art Students Bathing. 1884

Thomas Eakins was also an American artist born in Pennsylvania who happened to venture out to France as well. He taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the same Academy that Cassatt had attended. Although Eakins falls within the category of Impressionism, his works were far more similar to those of the naturalists. Eakins was very controversial in the way he dealt with nudity. He would often disrobe in front of female students, and would also photograph, and encourage students to model for drawing classes. Eakins believed that male and female students should receive the same kind of education, and was involved in a couple of scandals where he would present himself naked to female students in his own studio.

Although Eakins claimed that he believed in equal education for all, he chose to focus his own personal works primarily on men. Unlike the Impressionists in France, Eakins was fascinated with photography, and there are many photographs that suggest he did not paint "en plein air" as it was commonly done in the movement, but rather used these photos in order to attain composition. Thomas Eakins was known for painting carefree youth located in natural settings, emphasizing the freedom not only of the young American men, but also the freedom of being outdoors, in the presence of nature. 
Mary Cassatt seemed to be more embedded in Impressionist culture than Eakins. Her brushstrokes were less contained, and her compositions were more intimate and concerned with the reflection of light. While Eakins primarily painted men, Cassatt did the very opposite and painted mostly women. For the first time, Cassatt's works depict the female form in a way that does not entirely appeal to the male gaze, as was the norm in the art world of the 19th century, and centuries prior. Her compositions were simple, yet very personal. Almost all of the women in her work do not gaze directly at the viewer. They do not suggestively beckon the male gaze. Cassatt treats her subjects as women, and not objects to be stared at. 
 
Mary Cassatt differs from Thomas Eakins in technique, and in subjects while both are still considered Impressionists. Eakins was primarily concerned with depicting the nude male body, which became a trend in his career. Mary Cassatt did not follow in the footsteps of her fellow artists. She rebelled against her family's wishes and became an artist. Then, she chose to portray women in a light they had never been painted in before: as real women. Cassatt elevated her subjects in a way that made them feel like actual characters and not just subjects of a painting. Perhaps for the first time in history, we see art made by a woman, not created with the male gaze in mind.   


Sources:
Thomas Eakins
Mary Cassatt