Berthe Morisot - Shop
Much of the art world pre-dating the 20th Century is clearly dominated by male artists. Those few women who showed talent and skill were often depicted as followers of great male painters rather than great artists in their own right. The works of Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) are still rarely discussed without comparing their works to leading male Impressionists, including Manet, Monet, Degas and others. She enjoyed a highly successful career, participating in the official Salons and in seven of the eight Impressionist exhibitions. With her light palette, feathery brushstrokes, and quiet scenes of female domesticity, she was considered by many critics of the time as the purest and most successful of the Impressionists. An admiring critic wrote: "she grinds flower petals onto her palette, in order to spread them later on her canvas with airy, witty touches, producing something vital, fine, and charming. Morisot was married to Eugène Manet, the brother of her friend and colleague Édouard Manet.
