(Above) This black-and-white photograph was taken of Mary Cassatt's mural while it was on display in the Woman's Building at Chicago's World's Fair in 1893.
The Woman's Building
THE STORY
To honor the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to North America, Chicago hosted the 1893 Columbian Exposition World’s Fair. The fair lasted six months and its attractions were spread over 630 acres. Many of the buildings housed important achievements in industry, art, and science.
The Woman’s Building, dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of women artists, poets, and educators, was a very popular attraction.
Bertha Palmer, wife of real estate mogul Potter Palmer, commissioned a massive 64- x 15-foot mural to be painted by the Impressionist Mary Cassatt. Her mural was displayed in the Woman's Building. Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) was an American painter who lived most of her life in France. Befriended by the famous Impressionist group, she was one of only a few American painters to work with the well-known artists of her time, such as Monet, Renoir, and Degas.
To honor the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to North America, Chicago hosted the 1893 Columbian Exposition World’s Fair. The fair lasted six months and its attractions were spread over 630 acres. Many of the buildings housed important achievements in industry, art, and science.
The Woman’s Building, dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of women artists, poets, and educators, was a very popular attraction.
Bertha Palmer, wife of real estate mogul Potter Palmer, commissioned a massive 64- x 15-foot mural to be painted by the Impressionist Mary Cassatt. Her mural was displayed in the Woman's Building. Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) was an American painter who lived most of her life in France. Befriended by the famous Impressionist group, she was one of only a few American painters to work with the well-known artists of her time, such as Monet, Renoir, and Degas.
The Palace of Fine Arts
Important Dates
October 31, 1893: The World’s Fair closes. The Cassatt mural is stored in the Palace of Fine Arts. (Today the building is home to the Museum of Science and Industry.)
September 1895: Many art pieces from the fair are moved from the Palace of Fine Arts to the Hiram Sibley warehouse. Cassatt’s mural is NOT listed on the inventory.
1895 ~ 1911: The Cassatt mural is presumably in Bertha Palmer’s possession. Bertha was a key figure in the Chicago art world and was the wife of real estate mogul Potter Palmer.
October 1911: The Art Institute of Chicago’s Board of Trustees discusses an offer from Bertha Palmer to exhibit the Mary Cassatt mural:
“Mrs. Potter Palmer surprises me by telling me that she has Miss Cassatt’s decorations in her possession at her house.” --William French, Director of the Art Institute of Chicago, October 1893.
November 1912: William French finds permanent homes for 8 other murals from the World’s Fair. These works of art are sent to various nearby colleges, including Knox College, University of Michigan, Beloit College, and the University of Illinois at Champaign.
November 1912: John Worden of Notre Dame expresses interest in obtaining the Cassatt for display at the university.
No further mention of the Cassatt appears in any correspondence. The mural vanishes.
Help us find the mural!
October 31, 1893: The World’s Fair closes. The Cassatt mural is stored in the Palace of Fine Arts. (Today the building is home to the Museum of Science and Industry.)
September 1895: Many art pieces from the fair are moved from the Palace of Fine Arts to the Hiram Sibley warehouse. Cassatt’s mural is NOT listed on the inventory.
1895 ~ 1911: The Cassatt mural is presumably in Bertha Palmer’s possession. Bertha was a key figure in the Chicago art world and was the wife of real estate mogul Potter Palmer.
October 1911: The Art Institute of Chicago’s Board of Trustees discusses an offer from Bertha Palmer to exhibit the Mary Cassatt mural:
“Mrs. Potter Palmer surprises me by telling me that she has Miss Cassatt’s decorations in her possession at her house.” --William French, Director of the Art Institute of Chicago, October 1893.
November 1912: William French finds permanent homes for 8 other murals from the World’s Fair. These works of art are sent to various nearby colleges, including Knox College, University of Michigan, Beloit College, and the University of Illinois at Champaign.
November 1912: John Worden of Notre Dame expresses interest in obtaining the Cassatt for display at the university.
No further mention of the Cassatt appears in any correspondence. The mural vanishes.
Help us find the mural!