Berthe Morisot

Berthe Morisot

Berthe Morisot was a French artist who lived from 1841 to 1895. She was a prominent member of the Impressionism art movement that swept through France. Both Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt are generally regarded as the most important female artists of the late nineteenth century.

Morisot was born in Bourges, France to a fairly successful middle-class family with some deep artistic roots. Her father studied architecture at the esteemed École des Beaux Arts in Paris, and her mother was a descendant of the French Rococo artist, Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Morisot’s family moved to Paris when she was young. Both Berthe and her two older sisters received private art lessons. When Berthe decided to pursue art as a profession, her family wholly supported her decision.

In 1861 at 20 years old, Morisot became friends with artist Camille Corot. Corot took Morisot on as an informal student. He introduced her to other artists and provided her with some art direction, such as painting en plein air. Just three years later, at 23, Morisot exhibited her first painting at the Paris Salon where she continued to display her work for the next several years. Morisot first became acquainted with Édouard Manet in 1868. The two became lifelong friends, offering opinions and suggestions towards each other’s art, as well as introducing each other to their own circle of artists. Morisot and Manet spent a lot of time together, and their styles grew to become quite similar.

Morisot and Manet shared similar approaches to art. They painted with more conservative colors than the other Impressionist artists, only using hues that appeared in nature. Through their continual discussions, they both agreed to lighten their overall palette and curb their use of black. Morisot was the one who convinced Manet to paint en plein air. She also introduced him to her friends who would start the Impressionist art movement.

In 1874, Morisot married Manet’s brother, Eugène, who was also an artist. They had a daughter, Julie Manet, who soon became Morisot’s muse. Julie was painted by many famous artists, including her mother, her uncle, Édouard Manet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. As a female artist in a male-dominated world, Morisot had difficulty being taken seriously as an artist. She continued to paint and exhibit her work. As her style matured, critics and art dealers alike began to take notice. She became good friends with the American female impressionist, Mary Cassatt, another female artist within the group.

Morisot’s husband died in 1892. She continued working on her art and had her first solo show that same year. Though Morisot never became a commercial success during her lifetime, she was able to fully support both her and her daughter. In 1895, Morisot’s daughter, Julie, got pneumonia. While taking care of her, Morisot contracted the illness and died that very year at just 54 years of age.

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