Regarded by her fellow impressionists as a ‘virtuoso colourist’, Berthe Morisot (1841–95) strove to be considered an equal among her male peers – an uphill struggle at a time when women were generally forbidden from taking formal artistic training. Nevertheless, she succeeded in forging a career, gaining respect, becoming a key player and creating a body of work that has stood the test of time. Her impressionism vibrates with light and spontaneity and yet possesses a density of form through the deft use of colour. Inevitably she painted what she experienced: scenes of intimate domestic and family life, gardens, flowers, landscapes – representing the real, unfiltered day-to-day life of 19th-century women – from the tender depiction of maternal love in The Cradle to the Far-Eastern inspired Julie with her Greyhound Laërte. This gorgeous book introduces the reader to the background, life and work of the artist, followed by a curated selection of her best work in exquisite full-page reproductions.
