Contents
Berthe Morisot
Helping establish Impressionism through lively paintings of women, children and everyday life.
The Cradle · A View of Paris from the Trocadéro
- Born
- 14 January 1841
- Birthplace
- Bourges, France
- Died
- 2 March 1895
More people
Berthe Morisot
Berthe Morisot was a French painter and a founding participant in the Impressionist exhibitions. Her rapid brushwork and domestic subjects made a distinctive contribution to the movement.
Early life
Private lessons
Studied with her sister Edma, copying paintings at the Louvre and learning from landscape painters.
Outdoor observation
Camille Corot encouraged the sisters' interest in painting directly from nature.
Career
- 1864
Salon debut
First exhibited at the official Paris Salon.
- 1874
An independent exhibition
Joined the first Impressionist exhibition, showing alongside artists including Claude Monet and Edgar Degas.
- 1870s–1880s
A sustained contribution
Participated in seven of the eight Impressionist exhibitions.
- 1890s
Later experiments
Continued developing portraits and figure paintings with a freer handling of paint.
Selected work
The Cradle
Her sister Edma watches a sleeping child through a veil.
A View of Paris from the Trocadéro
Figures and a city view share a broad outdoor composition.
The Psyche Mirror
A figure appears before a tall mirror in a domestic room.
Summer’s Day
Two women sit in a boat on a lake.
Beyond the studio
An artistic family
Married Eugène Manet, Édouard Manet’s brother; their daughter Julie became a frequent sitter.
Women in public art
Built a professional career despite restrictions on women’s training and access to artistic spaces.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Museum or specialist research ↗The Cradle — Musée d’Orsay ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
