Mary Teasdel

Mary H. Teasdel (November 6, 1863 – 1937) was an impressionist artist and the first female Utah native to exhibit in the Paris Salon.

Personal life Born to Mr. and Mrs. S. P. Teasdel on November 6, 1863, in Salt Lake City, Teasdel was raised in a relatively wealthy family and was afforded many privileges. Her father was a successful merchant and provided for her abundant education in the arts, although he did not approve of her investment in art as a career. Beyond her training in her native land, Teasdel went on to travel to Paris and study under many great artists including William Benjamin-Constant, Jules Simon, and James Whistler.

Of her profession, Teasdel wrote, "True art is the personal expression of an idea in an artistic way. To be able to do this one must understand the language of art, its intentions and limitations. Art is infinite in its various expressions and should enter every part of our lives because art means harmony, beauty, and the eternal fitness of things." Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Antony Anderson described Teasdel's "group of little water color paintings" as "very crisp and clean in handling, full of light and air." Some of the examples of her work included "Early Morning," "Windy Hilltop," "Purple Asters," "A Beach Town Street," "Los Angeles Garden," and "November."