Tea Party Diva - Life & Craft

The painting, Five O’Clock Tea, is reminiscent of a Victorian Era English afternoon tea.
In fact, it was painted in France by American Impressionist artist, Mary Cassatt (1844 -1926), in 1880.

Mary Cassatt - Early Days As An Artist
Cassatt was educated at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in Philadelphia. From there she went to Europe to further her studies. After a time, she settled in Paris an became involved with the Impressionist school of art.

Mary Cassatt & The Impressionists

Edgar Degas, one of the leaders of the Impressionist movement, who had seen her paintings exhibited in Paris, invited her to join their group. She also became friends with Manet, another member of the movement.

Cassatt found her niche with the Impressionist approach. The Impressionists concentrated on painting and pastel art, taking scenes from real life. This school of art used brighter colours and broader brushstrokes than the old masters.

She often painted women going about their everyday life, such as in the Five O’Clock Tea painting. She also had a particular fondness for children, and they feature in much of her art.

Mary Cassatt In America

In 1893, Cassatt was commissioned to paint a mural for Chicago’s World Fair. Ironically, after all those years abroad, this mural, entitled Modern Woman, made her well known in her home country.

She worked hard to encourage American museums to develop collections of Impressionist art. From all accounts, the Modern Woman title of the mural, applied equally well to the artist, herself.

Where You Can See The Five O’Clock Tea Painting

Five O’Clock Tea is oil on canvas. The original painting can be seen in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The actual size is 25 1/2 inches x 36 1/2 inches (64.7 cm x 93.7 cm). Some of her paintings have sold for over $US 2 million.

Tea in Art, Times Past