Mary Cassatt at Work: Radical Vision of Women at Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents 'Mary Cassatt at Work,' the largest US exhibition dedicated to the artist in 25 years, running until September 8. Featuring over 130 works—pastels, oil paintings, and prints—the show reframes Cassatt's oeuvre through the lens of women's labor and professional ambition. Curators argue that scenes long interpreted as sentimental motherhood actually depict domestic workers and active social engagement, challenging 19th-century gender norms. Works like 'Driving' (1881) show her sister Lydia driving a carriage in Paris, while 'On a Balcony' (1878-79) portrays women reading newspapers—a radical act for the era. Cassatt, who never married or had children, supported the American suffragette movement until her eyesight failed in 1914. The exhibition highlights her deliberate choice to be a 'serious professional' artist and to represent women as subjects, not objects.