Mary Cassatt: Malsamoj inter versioj

Cassatt admired Degas, whose [[pastel]]s had made a powerful impression on her when she encountered them in an art dealer's window in 1875. "I used to go and flatten my nose against that window and absorb all I could<!-- OK here: don't correct it--> of his art," she later recalled. "It changed my life. I saw art then as I wanted to see it."{{sfn|Mathews|1998|p=114}} She accepted Degas' invitation with enthusiasm, and began preparing paintings for the next Impressionist show, planned for 1878, which (after a postponement because of the World's Fair) took place on April 10, 1879. She felt comfortable with the Impressionists and joined their cause enthusiastically, declaring: "we are carrying on a despairing fight & need all our forces".{{sfn|Mathews|1994|p=118}} Unable to attend cafes with them without attracting unfavorable attention, she met with them privately and at exhibitions. She now hoped for commercial success selling paintings to the sophisticated Parisians who preferred the avant-garde. Her style had gained a new spontaneity during the intervening two years. Previously a studio-bound artist, she had adopted the practice of carrying a sketchbook with her while out-of-doors or at the theater, and recording the scenes she saw.{{sfn|Mathews|1994|p=125}}