Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) painted this self-portrait in 1880, a few years after she'd been invited by Edgar Degas to join a new group of artists — who later came to be known as Impressionists. What made Mary Cassatt unique in this group?

Originally known as the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc., the Impressionist movement represented a radical departure from the classically rooted Academic style that ruled the day. Instead of historical and mythological subjects, the Impressionists focused on scenes of modern life. They introduced a fluid painting technique using short, spontaneous brushstrokes and vivid colors that stood in direct contrast to the somber realism of Neoclassical art. Painting would never be the same again.

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