1. Mary Cassatt By Jaime Lankford

2. Mary was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1844. When she was 7 her family moved to Paris, France for a couple of years. Mary first decided she wanted to become an artist when they returned to America after seeing all of the beautiful art works in Paris.

3. Mary wanted to be an artist in a time when women were suppose to stay at home and be wives and mothers but she moved to Paris to become an artist anyway.

4. Mary loved families and children so most of her paintings and pastels are of children and their parents.

5. Mary was good friends with many famous artists called the French Impressionists. Edgar Degas was her closest friend. Mary helped Americans see the beauty of the French Impressionists and help their paintings sell in America.

6. Before Mary met the French Impressionists she painted people with dark backgrounds and in fancy clothes.

7. After she met the French Impressionists, she started painting people with brighter colors and doing normal everyday things.

8. She never had any children but she is most famous for her mother and child paintings.

9. Mary helped to teach the world that women can be great artists too.