Berthe Morisot was one of the lucky ones. She had both parental backing to pursue her artistic talent and a substantial inheritance from her father. Born in 1841 in Bourges, France, Berthe began art classes at age 16 at the encouragement of her family. Her rebellious independent nature was sustained by the money left to her by her father.
Labeled as scandalous, she tenaciously pursued her desire to paint plein air (out of doors) on her own. Women were considered a mere notch above chattel during this time and were nothing more than second class citizens who could not take a walk alone. And yet, notables such as Charles Baudelaire, Emile Zola, Edgar Degas, became her friends and she later married Eugene Manet, the painter Edouard Manet’s brother.
A Pivotal Pioneer in the Impressionist Movement
Because patriarchal social mores of the time prohibited her from attending gatherings at cafes with male artists, Morisot retaliated by organizing weekly lunches at her home for friends and fellow artists. These events became enormously popular and were regularly attended by Degas, Monet, Renoir, and Mallarme. Her financial independence allowed her to travel and study widely to Paris, Florence, England, and Pisa among other places. At age 37 she gave birth to her only child, a daughter named Julie whom she would paint over 70 times in the following years. Impressionist was Berthe’s primary painting style where she depicted both sensitive colorful landscapes and intimate figurative genre scenes featuring women and children.
An Integral Member Soon Forgotten
Morisot worked in a wide variety of mediums experimenting with pencil, watercolor, and gouache of which all could be easily carried on her travels meant for working on location both inside and out of doors. Of course, there was no lack of criticism for her subject matter of interiors featuring family life.
However the skill in which she approached her canvas with lively brushstrokes and techniques of producing shimmering translucent lights overshadowed the nay-sayers. She continued depicting intimate scenes of nature and feminine life in her own way disregarding the negatives.
A Professional Insult
Berthe Morisot was a shining light of resolute perseverance. She turned to her personal guiding star which became her legacy of breaking the barriers and finding ways to keep going no matter the obstacles. Of course, her financial security must have been monumentally important in this journey for a woman artist of the time. In spite of being a founding member of the Impressionist movement and a faithful participant in their exhibits, upon her passing in 1895, on her death certificate she is recorded as having ‘no profession.”
Snippet of Part Two Dancing Backwards Coming in October, Bronze Coast Gallery
Painting #1 detail echoing the palette of a Berthe Morisot painting of a landscape to be revealed at the exhibit. More stories to follow.
Additional Announcement of Note
Members Only Benefit. As an Elected Member of the American Artists Professional League, I have volunteered to be a part of the Critique Program. Receive personalized feedback in all genres from a supportive and experienced artist chosen by AAPL for a small donation which will benefit the organization! This is a rare opportunity, and we are thrilled to offer this new benefit only to our members! You can find more information on the AAPL website.
Leave a Reply