Lilla Cabot Perry: An American Impressionist

Rating:
Summary: Married, with children . . . .
Review: As highlighted in the this book's essay by Nancy Mowll Mathews, Lilla Cabot Perry's story and work provide an interesting comparison to Mary Cassatt. Whereas Cassatt, Cecilia Beaux and several other 19th century women painters chose never to marry, some, like Berthe Morisot and Lilla Cabot Perry did manage to marry, raise children, and maintain a professional level of focus on their art.

This book contains many color plates of Lilla Cabot Perry's work: her portraits of her husband and three daughters, and her self portraits, as well as her landscapes. Ironically, she (like Sargent and others) were glad to be able to stop painting portraits and concentrate on landscapes. The examples in this book suggest that the portraits were by far the best of Perry's work.

Good book for those interested in Impressionism or women painters at the turn of the century.