deep dive: Berthe Morisot

When someone says impressionism, you probably think of Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and maybe Degas or Cezanne. But can you name any female impressionists? I can’t say that I could, especially not Berthe Morisot. More people are familiar with her contemporary, Mary Cassatt, who I didn’t know was an impressionist; however she, Berthe, and Marie Bracquemond were considered “les trois grandes dames” of impressionism at the time.

I became interested in Berthe while visiting the San Diego Museum of Art. The painting above stopped me in my tracks. I love the colors and the breathiness of the strokes, equal to any Van Gogh or Monet. It’s beautiful. I was fascinated to learn that Berthe was not only a great artist, but actually recognized as one during her time (though still not considered as good as the men). Despite being a woman, and barred from formal training unlike her male counterparts, she was accepted into the prestigious Paris Salon exhibition many times. She was friends with many of the other Impressionists and married Edouard Manet’s brother. Learning to paint in plein air (outside) taught her to paint quickly and led to the light, energetic feel of her strokes. Like Cassatt, she painted mostly female subjects and gave insights into private female life at the time. I believe her genius lies in expressing a lot in just a few strokes, something I wish I could replicate.

Learning about Berthe Morisot inspired me to try harder to experiment and try out new brushes to add imperfections to my art. I drew her portrait below—definitely way too stiff for her taste, but I didn’t use the perfect round brush! And I drew a scene from when we visited Monterey, using more of a painting style. I also gathered a bunch of images to capture her aesthetic.

Which painting of hers is your favorite?

Berthe Morisot Mood Board

(click on the image to be taken to the source)