Who Was Berthe Morisot, and Why Have You Never Heard of the First Impressionist Woman?

In short, Berthe Morisot was the first female Impressionist, a participant in the Impressionist exhibitions who achieved recognition within her own lifetime, and if that hasn't caught your attention yet, we should add that Berthe was the muse of the famous Édouard Manet and posed for him more than once (and if we're to believe the rumors, they were united by more than just ideas about art). So isn't it strange that you've never heard of her or seen a single one of her paintings? It's time to correct that mistake!

Let's start at the beginning. Berthe Morisot's life began in 1841 in Paris, in a well-off upper-middle-class family. Her parents noticed early on that both Berthe and her older sister Edma had a talent for painting, and they supported it wholeheartedly, paying for private painting lessons for many years. A formal art education and academy membership were out of the question — at the time this was simply unacceptable for women, and painting was meant to remain a hobby. That is indeed what happened with Edma, who devoted her life to marriage and family, while Berthe, copying the works of the great masters at the Louvre, met the famous Édouard Manet, who introduced her to Impressionist ideas, and the two immediately found common ground. Berthe went on to pose for him many times, and Édouard always kept several of Berthe's paintings in his bedroom. Many said they were bound by more than a shared passion for art, but Manet was married, and she was cautious — even in the paintings he made of her, she gazes at him with an unreadable expression — and she eventually married his brother at the age of 34. Nevertheless, this acquaintance marked a decisive turning point in Berthe's work: she visibly loosened up, and all her earlier restraint disappeared.

Édouard Manet, “Berthe Morisot,” 1874, Wikimedia Commons

Unfortunately, this newfound freedom could only manifest itself in technique. Berthe lived in a society that found the very idea of a woman painter unacceptable, let alone one who might wander the city or countryside unaccompanied to paint outdoors — that would have been, at the very least, improper (at the time, even recognized professional painters typically worked in a studio). A bohemian life, café patrons and revelers, the kind of subjects other Impressionists painted, were simply out of the question for her. Berthe had to limit herself to scenes of domestic life, portraits of women grooming themselves at home or sitting in gardens, and children. Yet this was no obstacle to her talent. She managed to breathe life, authenticity, and individuality into the women she painted. Unlike Degas's ballerinas or Manet's nudes, Morisot's women are never objectified. The painter often lets us glimpse into their private lives, genuine and unperformed. In “The Cradle,” her sister Edma leans over to look at her newborn. Her gaze seems almost entranced, yet it's clear the new mother is tired and lost in thought — one can sense the conflicting thoughts running through her mind. In fact, all the paintings depicting women with children, or children alone, are tender, yet entirely free of sentimentality.

Berthe Morisot, “The Cradle,” 1872, Wikimedia Commons

On the other hand, Berthe, who never lacked money and had no need to accommodate the demands of patrons or clients, was free to paint however she wished — which is more than can be said for her friends. From the very first exhibition of the Société Anonyme (incidentally, Le Figaro wrote of the show: “five or six lunatics, one of them a woman... maintaining feminine elegance amid the ravings of the deluded”), a distinctly unfinished style began to emerge in her work, since, as Berthe herself put it, a painting should “capture what is fleeting.” Morisot's work is easily recognized by its very loose, hurried brushstroke. Although such brushwork is characteristic of all the Impressionists, none could rival Berthe's freedom of touch. In her paintings, the viewer can see every single stroke, and one stroke alone will often stand in for an eye, a nose, and a mouth all at once. Berthe grew ever freer, until eventually the figures she painted approached abstraction.

Berthe Morisot, “Young Woman in Grey Reclining,” 1879, Wikimedia Commons

For example, in “Young Woman in Grey Reclining,” the grey dress merges almost imperceptibly into the background in a swirl of brushstrokes. In another painting, “The Garden at Maurecourt,” the plants in the background dissolve into nothing more than varying shades of green brushwork. Interestingly, though, toward the end of the century Berthe's style began to change again — the loose strokes that had become her signature gave way to clearer lines, and her images came back into focus. This is beautifully illustrated by the portrait of her daughter Julie, which so perfectly captures a teenager's spirit and mood. It is fascinating to wonder how Berthe's style might have continued to evolve, but we will never know — in 1895, pneumonia took her life.

Berthe Morisot, “The Garden at Maurecourt,” 1884, Wikimedia Commons

Although Berthe sought the same recognition as her fellow Impressionists throughout her life, no gallery represented her, and during her lifetime she sold only 40 of her roughly 800 works — the rest remained in the family home for a long time afterward. Berthe Morisot's death certificate listed her as having “no profession.”

Berthe Morisot, “Julie Daydreaming,” 1894, Wikimedia Commons

But we'd like to end this article on a happy note: in recent years, more than one retrospective exhibition of Berthe Morisot's work has been held, drawing considerable public interest. Let's hope that Berthe's hour of glory is now not far off.