Berthe Morisot

 

Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot was born on 14 January 1841 in Bourges, Cher, in Central France. She was a French Impressionist painter best known for her paintings of everyday life, especially of women and children. She was one of the most important figures in the Impressionist movement.

Impressionism was a radical art movement that began in the late 1800s among French artists. The aim of the movement was to portray accurate visual impressions by painting scenes and subjects on the spot.

Morisot was born in 1841 in Bourges, France. She grew up in a wealthy family and received private art lessons. While copying paintings at the Louvre museum, Morisot met and became friends with other artists, such as Édouard Manet and Claude Monet.

Morisot first showed her work at the Salon de Paris in 1864. In 1874, she joined the Impressionists in their first exhibition and would take part in almost all of the later Impressionist exhibitions until 1886.

In 1874, Morisot married Eugène Manet, the brother of her friend Édouard Manet. They had a daughter named Julie in 1878 who often modeled for Morisot and other Impressionist painters.

Morisot was known for her soft brushstrokes and use of color and light. She used different materials, such as oils, watercolors, and pastels, to portray scenes of everyday life, including women, children, and flowers.

Morisot was very successful during her life and her paintings sold well at auctions. She was called one of the “three great ladies" of Impressionism. In 2013, her painting "After Lunch" (1881) sold for $10.9 million, making her the most expensive female artist. 

Morisot died on 2 March 1895 at the age of 54 of Pneumonia contracted while caring for her 16-year-old daughter Julie who was suffering from the same illness.