Berthe Morisot

Berthe Morisot

Naomi Tiry Salgado

I’ve read tiny bits about an Impressionist painter named Berthe Morisot, but just enough to know that she and I walk similar paths, just 100 years apart. I’ve tried to find more in-depth information on her, but it’s pretty hard to find. There are three other female Impressionist painters that I know of: Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, and Marie Bracquemond. I would love to learn more about them as well, but I identify on both a professional and personal level with Berthe for reasons that I will explain shortly. When I heard that a Berthe Morisot exhibition was coming to the US, I got really excited! This was my chance to get to know this artist better!

“Self Portrait”, Berthe Morisot, 1885.

The exhibit came to the Barnes in Philadelphia in the Fall of 2018 and then, in the spring, moved to the Dallas Art Museum (DAM). DAM also hosted a symposium in conjunction with the exhibition on March 29-30, 2019. Of course, I went…I had to! The symposium consisted of a series of 5 speakers (the 6th got sick) who are leading art historians in the US. After piecing together their lectures on Berthe Morisot, along with the solo exhibition of her work, and the other reading I’ve done, I decided to write this article to share what I’ve learned about this amazing artist.

The first new thing I learned happened as I was trying to find the entrance to the art museum. I struck up a conversation with a woman walking in the same direction, asking her if she was going to the “Berthe Morisot” symposium. I pronounced it just how it is spelled in English—Bertha Mor-i-sot. She responded (very nicely) that indeed she was going to the “Beardt More – ee –zoh” exhibition. Turns out she was one of the speakers! Carol Armstrong is a lovely lady and a knowledgeable speaker. So there you go! Now you know how to pronounce Berthe Morisot’s name without needing to be embarrassed… I took care of that part for you!

So, why am I so drawn to Morisot, this French woman who painted over 100 years ago? First of all, she was a woman Impressionist, just like me. She was married to a man who was very supportive of her art career, just like me. Berthe had her first and only child when she was 39 years old. That’s only 1 year younger than I am right now—except that I am NOT pregnant, and my two offspring are in high school. Berthe died too young at the age of 54, when her daughter was 16. That’s how old my son is right now--except I’m not planning to die anytime soon. Like me, Berthe didn’t paint simply for the fun of it; it is our career—life focus. Berthe didn’t need to sell paintings to support herself or her family. However, she still pursued sales of her paintings for the respect of the art world—to define herself as a professional, just like me.

In Berthe’s early life, her mom hired some of the best art teachers of the day to come to the Morisot home and train Berthe and her sister Edma. At this time, in the mid-to-late 1800’s, women were not allowed in institutions of higher learning or group classes with men present. Women were not supposed to have careers, especially women of middle to high class status. There were special “women only” art classes, but these classes were simply meant to pass the time in a pleasant way. One of her later instructors, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, taught her about the joys of plein air painting, and would take the girls to paint outdoors. The rigorous art teachers that the Morisot girls studied under brought out the best in Berthe, because she was accepted into the Paris Salon exhibition nine years in a row. The Salon was the main way for an artist to gain credibility at the time, and it was a high honor to be accepted.

“Berthe Morisot” as painted by Edma Morisot. 1865.

Berthe’s sister completely set her painting aside when she married and started having children, which must have been hard for Berthe, not having her painting partner. It must have also been hard for Edma to sacrifice the painting that she loved in exchange for raising her children, who she also loved. To deal with the complex emotions of this transitional time, Berthe painted many paintings of Edma—sometimes alone, sometimes with her children. In all of them, Edma appears somber and lost in thought. After Berthe herself got married in 1874, she abruptly stopped painting pictures of Edma. Although, unlike Edma, marriage and children did not stop Berthe from painting.

“The Cradle” by Berthe Morisot. 1872. A painting of Edma with her second child, Blanche. This painting was exhibited at the 1st Impressionist Exhibition in 1874. When it didn’t sell, Berthe gave it to Edma, who passed it down to Blanche. It was bought by the Louvre in 1930.

1874 was a pivotal year in Morisot’s life. Two things happened in this year that changed the direction of her life. One is that she was asked to join “The Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, Etc.” (later known as “The Impressionists”). The other thing is that she married Eugene Manet at age 34. Eugene was the brother of Edouard Manet, another founding member of the Impressionists. Edouard Manet is often confused with Claude Monet—but they are two different French Impressionist painters who were contemporaries of each other.

Berthe developed a friendship with Edouard, based on their mutual love of art. They would paint the same topic to compare and contrast their techniques—a visual “top this” or “one-up” challenge that would pass back and forth. Of the two, it was Berthe who challenged Edouard to bring his paints outdoors and paint en plein air.

“Washerwoman”. Edouard Manet. 1875.

“Laundresses Hanging Out the Wash”. Berthe Morisot. 1875.

Even though Berthe was very close to Edouard Manet, it was Edgar Degas who invited Berthe to join the Impressionists in time for their very first exhibition. Because Morisot was single at the time of the invitation, cultural propriety demanded that Degas write to Berthe through her mother. Keep in mind that Berthe was not a teenager at this time, but a 33-year-old, highly capable, and well-trained artist. Berthe gladly accepted the invitation and joined the group whole-heartedly. She didn’t just enter some paintings into the show, but also helped organize that first exhibition. She went on to participate in 7 of the 8 Impressionist Exhibitions, more than any other Impressionist artist. The year she didn’t show with the Impressionists was due to her being sick after giving birth. Once she joined the Impressionists, she no longer entered the Paris Salon.

Berthe was a pioneer as a woman artist. I catch myself complaining that today’s artworld is so male dominant. But compared to Morisot, I really need to stop whining. She faced so many cultural restrictions in upper class French society in the late 1800’s. Morisot and other gentlewomen were not allowed in the cafés where the men Impressionists would meet to discuss art and philosophy. They weren’t allowed in art schools or group classes. They really weren’t supposed to be outside of the house at all. Even though Berthe complained about the struggle in private letters to her sister, she still followed the rules society forced upon her. She found ways to work around the rules. For instance, in order to get included in the conversations about art and philosophy, she would invite the artists and poets to parties at her own home. Her painting subjects never included the cafes of Paris like her male counterparts, but she painted the world she knew. The world of the home and the woman. She had greater access to these subjects than the men Impressionists.

“Woman at Her Toilette”. Berthe Morisot. 1880.

Berthe was well-respected by her fellow Impressionist artists throughout her life. Art critics of the time wrote about her—some favorably, and some not. One critic called Morisot, “the Quintessential Impressionist” because her work embodied the Impressionistic ideals—bold, broken brushstrokes that have been painted quickly. Morisot only sold 40 of her paintings during her lifetime. She sold most of them through the Impressionist art dealer, Durand-Ruel. In one instance, he paid Morisot 500 francs for her painting in the morning. By that afternoon, he had already sold it for 750 francs.

After Berthe married Eugene Manet, she continued using her maiden name, a practice unusual for the times. After Berthe gave birth to their first and only child, Julie, the little family employed nannies and housekeepers so that Berthe could keep painting. Quite often, Berthe would paint the servants as they went about their duties. There are also several paintings she painted of her husband playing with little Julie. These are very unusual for the time when men weren’t shown caring for young children.

“Eugene Manet and His Daughter at Bougival”. Berthe Morisot. 1881.

Morisot’s artistic style changed in the last few years of her life. Her style departed from the broken, feathery Impressionist style to a more heavy and continuous line drawing style that gives a similar feeling as Munch’s famous Post-Impressionist painting, “The Scream”. Berthe passed away in 1895, three years after Eugene, leaving Julie an orphan at the tender age of 16. On her deathbed, Berthe told her daughter, “You have both beauty and money, use them well.” She also instructed her to give away her paintings to her Impressionist friends.

Julie did give away some of Morisot’s paintings. But she also helped Renoir, Degas, and the poet Baudelaire put on a posthumous exhibition of 390 of her mother’s paintings and drawings 3 years after her death. Many of these paintings are still owned by Morisot’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

For the next 90 years, Morisot slowly and gradually faded from the public eye. Biographers of Impressionists initially moved her to the “Lesser Impressionist” category, and then started leaving her out of the story altogether. There was a solo exhibition of her work in Paris in 1941, but not many people went due to the country being in the throes of WW2. In the US, there has only been one other solo exhibit of Morisot’s work which happened in 1987. Claude Monet, on the other hand, has had 40 solo exhibits in the US since 1987.

With the rise of the feminist movement, came the inevitable question, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” This is the title of a 1971 article in Art News by Linda Nochlin. It was a pioneering work that got art historians thinking…maybe there WERE women artists and we just forgot about them? Anne Higonnet, professor of art history at Columbia University and keynote speaker, decided to write her doctoral dissertation on Morisot in the late 1980’s. Since there was such a low percentage of Morisot’s paintings in museums, she contacted Morisot’s family to be able to study the paintings. At first, they were hesitant to talk with her, but once they realized she was a “good egg”, they invited her into their homes and gladly showed her “grandma’s paintings” and also some of “Uncle Edouard’s paintings” as well. Dr. Higonnet published her research in a book, which has encouraged further scholarly research into this almost-forgotten artist who was so instrumental in the founding of the Impressionist movement.

My friend and fellow artist Hannah and I jokingly refer to each other by our Impressionist names: Mary Cassatt, and Berthe Morisot, respectively. Mary Cassatt was an American Impressionist who lived and painted in France and started exhibiting with the Impressionists in 1879. I was disappointed to learn that the real Cassatt and Morisot were not friends, even though they knew each other, and we may never know why. Unlike Morisot, I intend to befriend the Mary Cassatts of today. Life is difficult enough for artists in general, and women artists in particular. We should be supporting and encouraging one another.

Berthe Morisot is a huge inspiration for me. She lived and worked in a male-dominated world. Yet she kept her chin up and kept painting, kept exhibiting, kept looking for foot-holds for her career. She took the circumstances society gave her (gentlewomen must stay in the house) and made a career out of it by painting that which is in the house. When given lemons, we can choose to let it make us sour, or find a way to make lemonade. Morisot found her way. I’m confident that I will too.

If you would personally like to see the “Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist” exhibition, it will remain at the Dallas Museum of Art until May 26, 2019. Then it is moving to Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France from June 18 – September 22, 2019, with an accompanying symposium taking place on September 20, 2019. This symposium will feature European scholars, and I believe the language spoken will be French. Due to Morisot’s work being mostly held in private collections, it is not often seen. The curators for the exhibition worked diligently to pull together the largest collection of her work since the posthumous exhibition of 1898, many of the pieces are on loan from her descendants living room walls.

Note: The images used in this article are of paintings that are no longer copyrighted.

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