Mary Cassatt was born in Pennsylvania on May 22, 1844, but she spent most of her life in France, where she had studied art. She mastered the techniques of prominent impressionist artists and even became good friends with Edgar Degas. Similar to the style, Cassatt used light, airy brushstrokes and a pastel color scheme. She focused on painting the lives of women and children in their everyday lives, specifically in domestic settings. Not only was she important as a woman in a mainly male-dominated art world, she became the only American to display art with French Impressionists. This in turn, allowed her to become a major part in the growing and changing art world.