Picture yourself walking through the streets of Paris, France, over 150 years ago.

The city is buzzing with artists carrying easels and paint brushes, heading to cafes where

they discuss new ways to create art. Among these creative people is a young woman from America

who has traveled thousands of miles to follow her dream of becoming a painter. Her name is Mary Cassatt,

and she would become one of the most famous American artists in history, known for her beautiful

paintings of mothers and children. Mary Cassatt was born in 1844 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania,

which is now part of Pittsburgh. Her family was wealthy and valued education, so Mary was encouraged to study and travel. When she was a young girl, her family spent several years in Europe, where she visited museums and was introduced to art. By the time she was a teenager, she decided she wanted to be an artist,

even though this was not a common career path for women in the 1800s. Her parents didn't fully

support her decision at first, but Mary was determined to follow her passion. At age 15, she enrolled

in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

There she studied classical painting, but she found the experience frustrating.

Women students were often not treated as seriously as men, and Mary disliked the slow pace

of the lessons.

She wanted to challenge herself and grow faster as an artist.

After several years of training, she convinced her parents

to let her travel to Europe to continue her studies. In 1866, Cassat moved to Paris, France,

which at the time was the center of the art world. Women were not allowed to attend the Ecole

de Bozar, the top art school in Paris, but Mary found private teachers

and copied works in the Louvre Museum to improve her skills. She studied the techniques

of old masters while also paying attention to new, modern styles of painting that were beginning

to emerge. These experiences helped shape her unique style. At first,

Cassat struggled to gain recognition. Many art galleries and exhibitions were controlled

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