Mademoiselle Berthe Morisot:

French Impressionist Extraordinaire, Part III

The lovely and talented Berthe Morisot was born in 1841 to a wealthy and prominent Parisian family. The middle of the 19th century produced a number of artists of renown from upper class Paris families, including that of Edourd Manet and Edgar Degas. This fact was not surprising however when a young woman from this strata of society engaged in what was seen as a "male dominated" profession, it was shocking. Shattering the conventional thinking of the era, she was not rebuked by her parents, on the contrary Berthe was encouraged to continue in her pursuit and they proceeded to hire a distinguished teacher to help further her studies

Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets, 1872
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

During her education, as was the practice of the day, she was in the Lourve museum copying the works of the old masters when she had occasion to meet Edourd Manet, fellow artist whom she greatly admired. Eventually he became a treasured friend. As time went on Berthe began to fall in love with the ideas of the Impressionist style of painting and her friendship with Manet led to his wonderful portrayal of her in his composition Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets (1872).

In 1870 she invited Manet to her studio to criticize a portrait that she had painted of her mother and sister entitled, The Mother and Sister of the Artist. Imagine her shock when she watched as he could not resist the temptation to touch up the painting in certain areas, including her mother's eyes, mouth and portions of her dress. It was difficult but after some time she was able accept the affront and reconcile herself to it. Berthe's decision to put Manet's transgression behind her turned out to be very fortuitous since she became part of Edourd's family when she married his brother Eugene in 1874. Eugene was a writer and a political activist that had a great deal of confidence in Berthe's work and gave her his blessing in continuing her career as an artist. Because of his respected status in the community it served to heighten her position and reputation among artists, intellectuals and art lovers. Their home soon became a social magnet and meeting place for those of similar passions.

Mutter und Schwester der Künstlerin by Berthe Morisot (1869 - 70)
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Although she had previously displayed her work successfully in the official Paris Salon, Berthe chose to enter her paintings in an exhibition, the first independent show organized by the Impressionist Society, and dubbed by critics as "Messiers les Impressionistes" in a satirical review of the exposition. She exhibited her work with other notable artists such as, Edgar Degas Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Alfred Sisley. Among the several paintings that she displayed at this show was her painting The Harbor at Lorient (1869). Devotion to atmosphere and love of seascapes, as was the passion of French Impressionists, this lovely composition is a delightful blend of tranquil summer days and careful organization of the canvas. The division of her painting equally into bluish tones and carefully introducing the horizon line effortlessly merging with the sea, is a study in perfect balance. The forms on the left are balanced on the right side of the painting by the presentation of a young lady with a parasol. This effectually transfixes the eye of the viewer to the right of the canvas creating a pleasing result. This in turn produces a vision less symmetrical and more impromptu, as if a passerby strolling along, snapped a photo.

The Harbor at Lorient, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 1869
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Berthe worked with a varied array of subjects including domestic portrayals, seascapes, still life, landscapes and portraits. Her media choices were many; including watercolors, oils, pastels and drawings. As years went by her compositions became less spur-of-the-moment and became much more well thought-out such as her piece entitled Girl with a Greyhound (1893). It has been said that Berthe Morisot lived her painting and painted her life. Her art kept pace with her personal development and the use of her family and friends as models often captured their very individual moods, creating a special quality to her work.

Julie Manet et son Lévrier Laerte, Berthe Morisot 1893
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Although never commercially successful in her lifetime she managed to sell more of her compositions than her Impressionist colleagues namely; Renoir, Monet and Sisley. Berthe strongly believed in the ability of all women. She lived in a time when equal treatment of women was woefully lacking. Her stand was that "all that she ever asked from a man was to be treated as an equal and that is all she would have asked, for she knew that she was worth as much as they." Berthe contracted pneumonia and passed away in 1895. Sadly her death certificate states that she had "no profession" even though she had produced over 860 paintings in her lifetime. We celebrate her life and her pioneering effort in gaining respect for women artists worldwide, although never living long enough to realize her enormous contribution.

— by Fine Art Registry®  |  December 31, 2009

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