How very suitable, to read a book about an invalid while sick at home myself. That is what happened yesterday when, confined to my apartment, I read Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman, a spare little novel that covers but a brief period in the life of Lydia Cassatt, elder sister of the impressionist painter Mary, while the family resided in Paris from 1878 to 1881. When the novel begins, Lydia is 41 years old and battling Bright’s disease, which will eventually kill her in 1882.
I remember being fascinated by Cassatt’s paintings when I was school, much to my Emily Carr-loving art teacher’s frustration. Lydia was her sister’s favourite model and the subject of the Cassatt painting that first intrigued me, Lydia Leaning on Her Arms. The novel is told from Lydia’s point of view and through her we see Mary (or, as the family calls her, May) the painter. Lydia is not always comfortable with her sister’s work, upset by the suggestiveness of Little Girl in a Blue Armchair and by the dark, somewhat jarring colours that feature in many of the paintings. While she is proud of her sister’s work and success, she is troubled by Mary’s desire for acknowledgment and upset that the family portraits would be sold for profit.
Perhaps the most fascinating part, for me, is Lydia’s perception of the relationship between Mary and Degas. Here, Lydia observes a growing intimacy between her beloved sister and the famous painter who she is never quite comfortable with. It is only towards the end of the novel, as Lydia’s conditioning is worsening, that she begins to reevaluate her view on Degas.
It is a sweet, rather lyrical book that leaves me wanting to know more about the Cassatts. So much about their earlier life in America and even Germany is alluded to but never delved into or explained. My interest has been sparked and what I really need now is a nice, factual biography.
Hope you’re feeling a bit better!
I enjoyed this book when I read it back in 2004 or ’05, but mostly for the pictures! A similar sort of idea is in AS Byatt’s The Matisse Stories, though the stories are inspired by the paintings rather than about Matisse himself.
I am feeling better, thankfully, enough to go to work at least. I did love the paintings in the book, though I was sad that some of my favourites were alluded to but not pictured. I haven’t read Byatt’s The Matisse Stories; I struggle with Byatt sometimes and have never been a great fan of Matisse, so I might give those a pass.
This sounds fascinating – I must try to get hold of it as they’re not people I know about, but the title alone is brilliant.
Hope you’re feeling better now.
I’m feeling much improved, thanks. I was drawn to the book because I love Cassatt’s paintings; perhaps for you it will be the reverse and the book will have you searching out her art!
There was a scholarly biography published in 1994 by Yale University Press.
“Mary Cassatt: a life” by Nancy Mowll Mathews.
Yale University Press, 1994.
ISBN: 0300077548
No colour illustrations unfortunately.
Hope you are feeling better.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I’m pretty sure I read this one not long after it came out. The only thing I remember about it are the pictures and that I thought it only so-so. Maybe because it left so much out? I like Mary Cassat’s art so perhaps I would have been better off reading a biography.
It definitely didn’t blow me away, but I liked it in its own quiet little way. Definitely still prefer Cassatt’s art, clearly – perhaps what I really need is a nice glossy coffee table book of her work, rather than a biography…
Oh, and so glad, according to an above comment, that you are feeling better!
I also enjoyed Lydia Cassatt… when I read it a couple of years ago. Another wonderful novel in the same vein is Light by Eva Figes. It describes one day in the life of Claude Monet. The style is very reminiscent of Virginia Woolf. I highly recommend it.
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m a big Monet fan but have never read anything about him and hadn’t even heard of this book.
Glad to hear you’re feeling better! I too love Mary Cassatt’s paintings and would be very interested to read about her life, even if it is a fictionalised version!
I would definitely try this one, if you’re a fan – it does leave you wanting more though!
I’ve just started reading this very book, and so far I agree with you. Lovely writing and I really want to find out more,
Glad you’re enjoying it. It’s so brief though that I fear, like me, you’ll be left wanting to find out more even after you’re finished!
How interesting! I tend to avoid novels that use real, historical people as their characters, but Mary Cassatt does sound like a neat subject for a biography. I hope you find a good one and review it, so I’ll know what to look for. 😉
I think this novel worked so well because, while it was about Mary Cassatt, it didn’t presume to tell the story from her point-of-view.
Will definitely update you all if I find a good biography!
I would’ve been an art history major in college if I could’ve done whatever I wanted. This sounds fascinating to me. Thanks for sharing and do let us know if you find a good biography. I hope you are feeling better.
I’m feeling much better, thanks. I love art, but was never really serious about it – I was a singer and that was rather all-consuming for some years. But I do love to read about art and artists, so this was a lovely treat.