Welcome to Bedtime History.
Hello, this is Breck.
If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe to be notified about new episodes.
And to get our entire catalog of episodes ad-free, you can subscribe via Apple Podcasts.
The other evening my daughter came to me asking about some new sunglasses she wanted.
We looked them up online and then together made a list of chores, set some goals and decided how much she'd need to save for the new glasses.
Acorn's early chore feature makes it super easy for kids to track chores and get paid.
I love that my kids can earn and save their own money and feel empowered to make their own purchases.
It's very rewarding.
And Acorns Early is super easy to use.
We installed the app, a debit card came in the mail and then my kids use the app to track chores, get paid and spend using their very own debit card.
All with me still in control, thanks to spending limits and real-time notifications.
Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend?
Get your first month on us when you go to acornsearlycom forward, slash bedtime history or download the Acorns Early app.
That's one month free at acornsearly.com forward slash bedtime history.
Acorns Early Card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank member FDIC, pursuant to license by MasterCard International.
Free trial for new subscribers only.
Subscription fees starting from $5 per month and less canceled.
Terms apply at acornsearly.com forward slash early terms.
Picture yourself walking through the streets of Paris, France, over 150 years ago.
The city is buzzing with artists carrying easels and paintbrushes, heading to cafes where they discuss new ways to create art.
Among these creative people is a young woman from America who has traveled thousands of miles to follow her dream of becoming a painter.
Her name is Mary Cassatt, and she would become one of the most famous American artists in history, known for her beautiful paintings of mothers and children.
Mary Cassatt was born in 1844 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, which is now part of Pittsburgh.
Her family was wealthy and valued education, so Mary was encouraged to study and travel.
When she was a young girl, her family spent several years in Europe, where she visited museums and was introduced to art.
By the time she was a teenager, she decided she wanted to be an artist, even though this was not a common career path for women in the 1800s.
Her parents didn't fully support her decision at first, but Mary was determined to follow her passion.
At age 15, she enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.
There, she studied classical painting, but she found the experience frustrating.
Women students were often not treated as seriously as men, and Mary disliked the slow pace of the lessons.
She wanted to challenge herself and grow faster as an artist.
After several years of training, she convinced her parents to let her travel to Europe to continue her studies.
In 1866, Cassatt moved to Paris, France, which at the time was the center of the art world.
Women were not allowed to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, the top art school in Paris, but Mary found private teachers and copied works in the Louvre Museum to improve her skills.
She studied the techniques of old masters, while also paying attention to new, modern styles of painting that were beginning to emerge.
These experiences helped shape her unique style.
At first, Cassatt struggled to gain recognition.
Many art galleries and exhibitions were controlled by men, and women had a difficult time getting their work displayed.
Mary's career changed when she met the French artist Edgar Degas in the late 1870s.
Degas was part of the Impressionist movement, a group of artists including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissarro, who wanted to capture real life with quick brush strokes, bright colors and attention to light.
Degas saw Mary's talent and invited her to do a show with the Impressionists.
This was a huge breakthrough for her career.
Cassatt became the only American artist to regularly exhibit with the Impressionists.
Her paintings focused on scenes of women and children, often highlighting the bond between mother and child.
She used soft colors, delicate brushstrokes and unusual angles to give her works a feeling of intimacy.
Paintings like The Child's Bath and Young Mother Sewing show the beauty in ordinary moments.
Mary believed that the daily lives of women were just as worthy of art as any grand subject.
Mary Cassatt's career was not just about painting.
She also used her influence to help promote Impressionist art in the United States.
She encouraged American collectors to buy works by Degas, Monet and others, which helped spread the movement's popularity beyond Europe.
Today, many museums in America have Impressionist collections, partly because of her hard work.
Mary Cassatt died in 1926 in France, but her legacy continues.
Today, her paintings can be found in some of the most famous museums in the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Her work still inspires people with its warmth, honesty and focus on the importance of family and everyday life.
Mary Cassatt's story is one of determination and courage.
She followed her passion, worked hard, and made her voice heard through her art.
She showed that the beauty of ordinary moments mothers caring for children, families spending time together deserves to be celebrated.
Her paintings remind us that sometimes the most important stories are found not in big events, but in the simple connections we share with the people we love.
