23. Mary Cassatt

Best known for her portrayal of domestic scenes as well as the intimate bond between a mother and child, she loved to use bright colors and an unabashed realistic style. She was a leading artist in the Impressionist movement in the latter 1800s and known as one of "les trois grande dames" of Impressionism (along with Berthe Morisot and Marie Bracquemond). In this episode, we talk about Mary Cassatt.

Known as one of "les trois grandes dames" of Impressionism, she is famous for painting scenes from domestic life: family, children, ladies, beautiful gardens and flowers in watercolors and oils. In this episode, we're going to talk about Berthe Morisot, one of the most prominent artists of the Impressionist era!

He believed that art should celebrate life, beauty and the joy of each moment. Known for his soft, feathery brush strokes in his colorful paintings, he primarily depicted feminine beauty. But he also painted still lifes, as well as rural and domestic scenes. In this episode, we're going to talk about one of the leading artists of the Impressionist movement, Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

He was compelled to capture the constantly changing and atmosphere altering light. The way it cast its beauty on land and water — the way it changed the shades and tones of color in the tiniest of degrees. He and his "rebel" friends would rock the art establishment of the time and forever revolutionize the world of art! In this episode, we'll talk about Claude Monet, the "Father of Impressionism". 

He was called "the painter of dancers" but it wasn't the dancers he wanted to capture—it was the movement. From dancers to horse races to scenes of everyday life, he wanted to paint his subjects in an honest, unguarded moment. And although he was instrumental in gathering together a group of artists that would come to be known as the Impressionists, he actually despised the name, preferring to associate himself with Realism instead.  In this episode, we're going to learn about Edgar Degas.

He loved the lines and beauty of classical art, yet he wanted to paint that beauty in a modern setting and experiment with his own techniques. And although he desperately wanted his paintings to be exhibited at the Paris Salon, he was continually rejected. Determined to persevere and create the art that was in him, he inspired a new generation of artists and effectively changed art forever. In this episode, we're going to learn about Édouard Manet.  

He was a child prodigy who, at the age of eleven, became the youngest student to enter London's Royal Academy School of Art. Later he would become one of the founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood shocking the classical art establishment. But eventually he developed his own realistic style of art and became one of the wealthiest artists of his day. In this episode, we will learn about John Everett Millais.

He was born into an Italian family steeped in a rich cultural and literary heritage which greatly influenced him throughout his life. Often torn between either being an artist or a poet, he chose both. In this episode, we'll talk about Dante Gabriel Rossetti, one of the founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, as well as one of his most famous works, The Day Dream.