Woman Standing, Holding a Fan

Woman Standing, Holding a Fan is distemper and metallic color on canvas painting done between 1878 and 1879. This paint is one of the only two known canvases painted by Mary almost completely on distemper and represents a key moment in her transformation into impressionist.

In the painting, Woman Standing, Holding a Fan, her palette is very striking with a harmonious arrangement of subtle tones for the rug which is opposite to the almost acid green accents of the dress the woman is in. It is almost possible to get an immediate sense of the artist's hand by observing the brushwork. The painting Woman Standing, Holding a Fan can be said to have been influenced by her studying of the Japanese prints, in depicting the subjects through posture and gesture. The mood of the paint is calm and thought-provoking to look at. The painting put to use both artificial and natural lighting, use radical foreshortening, the smooth arbitrary cropping of silhouetted figures, matte surfaces, and the sketchy deployment of dry pigments.

Degas had a profound influence on Mary Cassatt's style of painting. They were both eager to try new materials sometimes distemper and metallic paints including this very paint, Woman Standing Holding a Fan. He also introduced Mary to the etching, of which Gegas was known to be a master. Most of Mary's paintings had a touch of feminism advocating women's rights and equality. The painting Woman Standing, Holding a Fan, depicts a new era of women who were strong, knowledgeable socially involved. All these features were influenced by Mary's mother, Katherine Cassatt, who believed strongly in educating women.

Her greatest influencers are Edgra Degas and Camille Pissarro who were her mentors and friends. She also studied under Jean Leon Gerome, who was a famous teacher in hyper-realistic techniques. She was also taught by Charles J. Chaplin who experimented with the genre field. Below are some of the legacy she left behind: A public garden in Paris is named Jardin Mary Cassatt in her memory. She was honored by Google Doodle in May 2009, in celebrating her birthday. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1973. She inspired many Canadian women artists who had a membership with Beaver Hall Group. Some of her work includes Portrait of Madame Sisley of 1873, The Reader of 1877, Inthe Box 1879, Lyda Leaning on Her Arms, Seated in Loge of 1879, and Miss Ellison of 1880 among many others.