92. Exhibition On Screen: Mary Cassatt - Painting The Modern Woman; movie review

 

MARY CASSATT - PAINTING THE MODERN WOMAN

Cert U

94 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild sex references, artistic nudity

I had never heard of Mary Cassatt until I immersed myself in this thorough biopic of the American artist.

The greatest compliment I can give to Ali Ray's film is that inspired me to do more reading and look up more of her work.

Mary Cassatt - Painting The Modern Woman chronicles her life from childhood in Pennsylvania to her dotage in France.

She was from a privileged background and, therefore, had the financial wherewithal to travel extensively and learn from acclaimed artists of the time.

The film precisely narrates her story and interweaves contributions from art experts from the United States and Europe.

They tell of her friendship with Edgar Degas and other impressionists who influenced her early career.

They also highlight her indviduality, demonstrated by her choice of central subjects who, throughout her life, were universally female.

Over 60 years, she embraced different ways to present art.

For example, while Cassatt's paintings were not always acclaimed, she became, in the words of one contributor "a wildly successful print-maker."

The art which most caught my eye was created after she had been introduced to the Japanese style. I am a particularly drawn to an image called Maternal Caress that is now owned by the Art Institute of Chicago.

Cassatt's works now hang in prestigious locations throughout the world and fetch millions of dollars at auction but the movie emphasises that she shouldn't just be remembered for them.

It reflects on how she played a big part in America becoming a centre for majoir collections as she championed other artists

Meanwhile, she played a significant role in the feminist movement, backing the campaign for women to be given the vote.

She was clearly a woman with a magnificent legacy. It is to my shame that she had perviously escaped my attention and my pleasure that has now been put right.

Reasons to watch: Very thorough biopic

Reasons to avoid: May be too detailed for the casual viewer

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Artistic nudity

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? The highest price paid for a work by Mary Cassatt is $7.5million for Young Lady in a Loge Gazing to the Right, - bought by the Pola Museum of Art in Hakone, Japan at auction in 2022.

The final word. Mary Cassatt: "I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up."

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