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In the late 1800s, Mary Cassatt emerged as one of the preeminent female Impressionists. Her sensitive handling of domestic images became her trademark among modern critics. Portrait of an Artist: Mary Cassatt -- Impressionist From Philadelphia documents her rise to importance and her reign as one of the most acclaimed American painters of her time. Cassatt resided mainly in France where she found the atmosphere most supportive. She fell in with the Impressionists early on and adopted the style favored by peers Monet, Renoir, and Degas. Her concentration on mother and child compositions brought maternity to a more realistic genre. While she experimented later in life, Cassatt's early works solidified her reputation as an artist of merit.