Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Mary Cassatt

Mary Cassatt is the most popular woman artist in the USA. She was born in 1845 in a town near Pittsburgh. She began her career at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where she studied from 1861 until 1865. She studied in Paris, too.

Mary Cassatt began her career as a realistic painter. Later she started experimenting with light and colour. In 1877 Degas invited her to join the Impressionists. Mary Cassatt was the only American who exhibited with the French Impressionists. Cassatt took part in four of their exhibitions.

There was something of Manet and Renoir in her works, but she developed her own style. It shows influence of Japanese art.

Cassatt never married, never had children. But she expressed in her work a profound understanding of the mother and child relations. Womanhood and motherhood were her favourite subjects. Her treatment of these themes was characterized by tenderness. Yet her pictures are objective, direct and free from sentimentality. She sees children as individuals. Her famous canvas «Susan comforting the baby» shows a baby with a personality of her own.

Mary Cassatts achievements are great, if we think of the difficulties faced by women artists at the time. Edgar Degas wrote about her: «I am not willing to admit that a woman can draw that well».

Topical Vocabulary

- a woman artist
женщина-художник
to begin one’s career
начать карьеру
- a realistic painter
художник-реалист
to start experimenting with light and colour
начать эксперименты со светом и цветом
to join the Impressionists
присоединиться к импрессионистам
to exhibit
выставляться
to take part in an exhibition
принять участие в выставке
- to develop one’s own style
выработать собственный стиль
influence of Japanese art
влияние японского искусства
- to express smth.
выразить что-либо
a profound understanding of smth.
глубокое понимание чего-либо
to be one’s favourite subject
зд.: быть любимой темой творчества
treatment of smth.
отношение к чему-либо, трактовка чего-либо
to be characterized by tenderness
характеризоваться нежностью
to be free from sentimentality
быть лишенным сентиментальности
a canvas
холст, картина
- an achievement
достижение
to face a difficulty
столкнуться с трудностью

Answer the questions:

  1. How did Mary Cassatt’s career start?
  2. Why did she start experimenting with light and colour?
  3. What kind of style did she develop?
  4. What was her favourite theme?
  5. What did Edgar Degas say about Mary Cassatt’s works?

Translate into English:

  1. Мари Кассатт - известная художница-импрессионист.
  2. В ее работах было что-то от Мане и Ренуара.
  3. Она создала свой собственный стиль.
  4. В картинах Кассатт ощущается влияние японского искусства.
  5. Кассатт обнаруживает глубокое понимание темы материнства.
  6. Ее трактовка материнства лишена сентиментальности.
  7. Дега пригласил Кассатт принять участие в выставке импрессионистов.
  8. Художница столкнулась со многими трудностями.