Under The Background Of The First Wave Of Feminism Cassatt Painting Aesthetics Research

The outbreak of the industrial revolution in the mid-19 th century gave women the opportunity to move out of their families and into the public sphere.The unfair treatment caused by gender differences and the development of women’s rights thoughts awakened the self-awareness of middle-class western women.In order to strive for equal rights between men and women,the first wave of feminism broke out.This paper,based on Mary Cassatt’s special social background,analyses the reasons and significance of her changes in the concept of painting aesthetics,and further studies her unique painting aesthetics.Mary Cassatt expressed her position of defending women’s rights in the way of artistic creation,viewed the daily life of middle-class women from a female perspective in her paintings,and displayed the image of an independent woman with self-esteem and self-respect in mother-child,bath,theater and reading theme paintings.She combined the principles and techniques of traditional classicism with the art theories of Impressionism and Ukiyo-e,making her one of the most impressive artists of impressionism.This paper elaborates the forming process and characteristics of Mary Cassatt’s Painting Aesthetics under the influence of special times and society in five chapters.The first chapter is an introduction,mainly introducing Cassatt,explaining the concept of the first wave of feminism,as well as one-sided research on Cassatt at home and abroad.The second chapter expounds the general situation of the history the first wave of feminism,the industrial revolution impact to social development and the influence of the social status of gender inequality and cause,Mary Wollstonecraft,Harriet Taylor and John Stuart Mill and others advocated by feminist thought has a leading role,as well as the movement characteristics and influence.Chapter three begins with Cassatt’s artistic experience and explores in depth the changes of her artistic thoughts and the female’s self-identity.New aesthetic concepts have a great influence on Mary Cassatt’s painting theme and technical style.The fourth chapter analyzes the reasons for Cassatt’s choice of painting theme,and then makes a specific analysis of her painting works from the aspects of composition,color,line and so on,so as to grasp her overall painting aesthetic characteristics.The fifth chapter from Mary Cassatt in the unique pursuit of painting aesthetic value and as a female artist to all aspects of the social value of the two aspects of interpretation,and then draw Cassatt’s painting significance and inspiration to personal creation ideas and practice.Cassatt was the most outstanding female artist in the 19 th century.She had the courage to break the limits of the secular world and made extraordinary achievements in the male-dominated art circle,which has a very important enlightenment significance for women in the art industry in the future and greatly promoted the development of female art.