A brief history
The "Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc." held a group exhibition at photographer Nadar's studio in Paris, in 1874. The group included well-known artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Berthe Morisot, among others.
The name "Anonymous Society" was chosen to distance the artists from the traditional styles established by art institutions of the time. The artists used bold colors, loose brushwork, and unconventional compositions to capture the fleeting effects of light and color.
The exhibition was praised by some critics as fresh and innovative, while dismissed by others as unfinished and amateurish. However, the exhibition proved to be a turning point in the history of art and paved the way for the Impressionist movement to gain recognition and influence in the art world.
The Anonymous Society held several exhibitions thereafter, and grew to be one of the most influential art movements of our modern era, playing a crucial role in the popularization of Impressionism.
Why weren't women impressionists part of the "Anonymous Society"?
It is not entirely known why Cassatt and Morisot, few of many women impressionists at the time, were not part of the "Anonymous Society", but it is believed to be related to their gender.
Back in the 1800's, women artists faced significant challenges and discrimination in the art world, and it was rare for them to be recognized or included in major art exhibitions. In fact, Berthe Morisot was one of only a few women artists who exhibited with the Impressionists in their early exhibitions.
Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot were significant Impressionist artists who exhibited their work with the Impressionists and were part of their circle. Morisot was a French Artist married to Manet's brother, and Cassatt was an American artist who befriended Degas in Paris and later became a member of the Impressionist group.
"I don't think there has ever been a man who treated a woman as an equal, and that's all I would have asked for – I know I am worth as much as they are." -- Berthe Morisot