Mary Cassatt  was born on May 22, 1944, in Allegheny City, PA, US. She was the daughter of an affluent Pittsburgh businessman whose French ancestry had endowed him with a passion for that country. She studied art at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and then travelled extensively in Europe, finally settling in Paris in 1874.  She was friends with Edgar Degas, exhibited with the Impressionists, and promoted their works in America.  She died on June 14, 1926, at Château de Beaufresne, near Paris, France.  

Arranging Her Hair, 1886	The Toilette, 1891

Maternal Caress, 1890-1891	The Boating Party, 1893-94