The Boating Party Symbolism

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Mary Cassatt was a just a young girl growing up in the 1800’s when she created many famous works. In her painting her focus was women and children, since her rights were limited compared to men. In her painting, “The Boating Party,” she touches on the issue perfectly, by using her talent to make a stand. I have always been a fan of Mary Cassatt’s work, and I will for the rest of my life. She has been recognized all around the world with paintings in various museums. When I was in middle school my family visited The Chicago Institute for Art. They held various paintings in the room and they stood out because they are so unique and different. Her illustration of “The Boating Party” is an ironic piece of art that uses an outing by three people to speak for women’s rights.
At first glance of the painting, “The Boating Party,” people would almost say that it is a happy image. In the image there is a man, woman, and child settled a boat. It can be assumed that they are a family going for an outing on a nice summer day. With the lake filling up at least half
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The title, “The Boating Party,” makes one think that a happy occasion is occurring and everyone is having a good time. It should be fun excursion, because parties are known to be joyous occasions where people are celebrating something. This is not the case. The people are obviously upset about something, and from how they are set up in the boat gives a couple of clues. The time period that this illustration takes place is around the nineteenth century when men and women didn’t have equal rights. The man was the one in charge while the woman had to sit back and watch. This can be shown through the image by the man having control of the boat and where it goes while the woman has to sit there helpless. Although the woman doesn’t get to make decisions, her one job is to take care of the children, which she is doing in the

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