Berthe Morisot

My recent reading (“Berthe Morisot” by Dominique Bona) as well as the new exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay  (in english : Click here) dedicated to the artist,  led me to write this article  This exhibition is a unique opportunity to discover or rediscover  the work of this amazing artist, one of the greatest French impressionist painter. I hope my article will make you feel like visiting this exhibition and discovering more about the life and work of this amazing artist ! To book you ticket : CLICK HERE

Affiche exposition - Musée Orsay

Through my recent reading  Berthe Morisot  (Dominique Bona, French author), I discovered a woman whose life is as fascinating as her painting : she defought the conventions to live her life and art on her way,  with an unfailing determination,  at a time when women did not have careers outside of their home and marriage.Her art is fascinating : she is a key figure in the founding of Impressionism. She broke the rules of realism, in the way she painted

Certainly one of the three greatest female impressionist painters (with Marie Bracquemond and Mary Cassat). She was respected and admired by her counterparts and friends Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Renoir, Degas… But unfortunately her work has been undervalued for too long…  She was a women, and that might explain it all.

Lady at her Toilette, 1875 The Art Institute of Chicago

Lady at her Toilette, by Berthe Morisot – 1875 The Art Institute of Chicago

The Musée d’Orsay houses today one of the most important collections of Impressionist paintings in the world. My article about the Musée d’Orsay : Click here

Here is a list of some of the most famous impressionist painters : Frédéric Bazille, Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassat, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pieerre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Marie Bracquemond… Just to name a few.

 Exhibition Berthe Morisot at the Musée d’Orsay :

from the 18th of June to the 22d of Septembre 2019

The Musée d’Orsay is paying tribute to the talent of one of this great French artist. The first time the Musée d’Orsay dedicates an exhibition to Berthe Morisot’s work. And it’s the first retrospective exhibition dedicated to this artist since the 1941 exhibition at the Orangerie.

 Who is Berthe Morisot  ?

‘I do not think any man would ever treat a woman as his equal, and it is all I ask because I know my worth.’ Berthe Morisot – 1890 (“Je ne crois pas qu’il y ait jamais eu un homme traitant une femme d’égale à égal, et c’est tout ce que j’aurais demandé. Car je sais que je les vaux.” Berthe Morisot, 1890)

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Berthe Morisot

She is one of the major figure of the Impressionism. She was born in 1841. She died at age 54 in 1895.

She was a member of the Parisian avant-garde impressionist movement. Her friends were Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Fantin Latour, or Pissaro. She exhibited with them regularly.  She frequented French writers too : Stéphane Mallarmé, Zola, Baudelaire, Paul Valery… Her work remained popular throughout her life. But her true value was never fully recognized by the public and the institutions. Her marriage license and her death certificat listed her as “without profession” …

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Girl with Greyhound – Berthe Morisot -1893 (the model is Julie, Berthe Morisot’s daughter)

Independent and determined :

Berthe Morisot

Berthe Morisot

I will achieve it only [being an artist] by perseverance, and by openly asserting my determination to emancipate myself.”   Berthe Morisot – 1871       («Je n’obtiendrai (mon indépendance) qu’à force de persévérance et en manifestant très ouvertement l’intention de m’émanciper»)

As a woman and as a painter : She was one of the most influential female Impressionist painters. One of the rare woman to make the painting her profession at a time when women couldn’t expect to have careers outside of marriage.She defought social norms, always refused an academic art. She was determined to be an artist as well as a wife and mother. She fought against the preconceptions of women’s roles at a time when women were not allowed to join the official art institutions.

After Luncheon, 1881

After Luncheon – by Berthe Morisot – 1881

As a model : Posing for Manet, was already an unconventional choice : Manet was a controversial artist for his paintings “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe” (exhibited in the Salon in 1863) and “Olympia” (exhibited in 1865) 

Oympia - Edouard Manet - 1865

Olympia – Edouard Manet – 1865 (The model : Victorine Meurent)

Berthe Morisot and Edouard Manet :

A Model subject and a muse for Manet (1832 – 1883) :

Berthe Morisot posed for Manet. Between 1868 and 1874, Edouard Manet painted her twelve times, more than any other woman. It’s Henri Fantin Latour who introduced her in 1868 to Edouard Manet. Berthe Morisot and Edouard Manet became close friends. He was a great admirer of her work and supported her although, and they both influenced each other art

A contemporary wrote : “When [Manet] paints Victorine, he paints her as a beautiful object; when he paints Berthe, he paints her with love and tenderness.”

The first time she posed for Manet was for “the Balcony”. But the most famous painting of Berthe Morisot by Edouard Manet is probably “Berthe Morisot with a bouquet of violets” where she is wearing a black dress

And “Le Repos”, could look like a declaration of love for his model. At least an emblematic portrait of Berthe Morisot by Manet 

Berthe Morisot - The rest - Portrait of Berthe Morisot - E Manet - 1870

Berthe Morisot – The rest – by E Manet – 1870

Were Edouard Manet and Berthe Morisot in love ?

Though, through the letters she wrote,  we know that she cared deeply for Manet, nobody really knows if they both were in love.

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However, Manet was a married man when they met, and Edouard Manet was also known as having numerous affairs with many women outside of his marriage.

In 1874, at age 33, she married Manet’s younger brother Eugène who was also a painter. Her husband supported Berthe Morisot’ s carrier and provided her with social and financial stability. In 1878, they had a child, Julie.

Berthe-Morisot-Eugene-Manet-and-His-Daughter-at-Bougival-1881

Eugene Manet and His Daughter at Bougival – by Berthe Morisot – 1881

She and her daughter were painted by Auguste Renoir too :

Her painting :

“Real painters understand with the brush” – Berthe Morisot

She started as a copyist at Le Louvre and studied painting extensively during this period. She soon refused the academic training she was receiving. Her work was first exhibited in 1864 at the Salon de Paris, a prestigious art show. She was then 23.

On the Balcony, 1872, New York - Dame et enfant sur la terrasse, Berthe Morisot, 1872

On the Balcony by Berthe Morisot, 1872

In 1872, she sold 22 paintings to a private dealer. It was the start of the career as an established artist.

She painted outdoor scenes, still-life scenes,  everyday life activities and portraits. Mostly in Paris and around, but occasionaly in England and Italy too. Always with a unconventional approach to her art, with delicacy

 She was renowned for her creativity, and her experiments with the concept of finished an unfinished in her paintings, her way to interpret traditional subjects in a modern way, her capacity to reveal with delicacy the complexity of life and human beings, and her ability to capture the movement, the light, the feelings.

‘Berthe Morisot’s uniqueness was to “live” her painting, and to paint her life’ – Paul Valery (French writer and one of her friends)

Among her most famous works : the Cradle (1872) where she shows her sister Edma contemplating her sleeping daughter and “Interior” (1872)

Le Berceau (The Cradle), 1872, Musée d'Orsay

Le Berceau (The Cradle), by Berthe Morisot 1872, Musée d’Orsay

Her paintings are spread in numerous museums and private collections all over the world. In Paris, mainly at the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Marmottan Monet

Her childhood and education :

Born in 1841 in a wealthy bourgeois family in Bourges (center of France). She had 2 older sisters Yves (although Yves is a French male first name) and Edma, and also a younger brother, Tiburce. Her family moved to Paris in 1852. She lived in Paris for the rest of her life.

The Artists' Daughter Julie With Her Nanny, c.1884, Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Artists’ Daughter Julie With Her Nanny, c.1884, Minneapolis Institute of Art

Berthe and her sisters received an artistic education (music and painting lessons) and were supported by their family. Both Berthe and her sister Edma were talented artists. Edma gave up after getting married and Berthe continued working as a painter.  

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Séparation 3

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  • AJIP private tours – Here
  • About the booking and pricing: Here 

MORE PHOTOS OF BERTHE MORISOT’s PAINTINGS at the BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

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Séparation 3

Other informations about Berthe Morisot exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay

Readings :

Some of the paintings of the permanent collection (among the numerous Berthe Morisot’s paintings spread all over the world in private collections and museums). In Paris, mainly at the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Marmottan Monet

  • at the Musée d’Orsay : In the permanent collection
    • Portrait de Madame Pontillon, 1871,
    • Le Berceau (The Cradle, 1872, 
    • Jeune femme au bal encore intitulé Jeune femme en toilette de bal, 1876,
    • Jeune femme en toilette de bal (Young Woman in Evening Dress), 1879

(of course the exhibition from the 19 June 2019 to the 22 Septembre 2019 gathers many more Berthe Morisot ‘s works of art)

  • at the Musée Marmottan-Monet,  – 2, rue Louis-Boilly, Paris 16 –Metro stop : La Muette or Ranelagh (line 9)
    • “Au bal” ou Jeune fille au bal, 1875,  
    • Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight 1875, 
  • at the National museum of Stockolm
    • Dans le jardin (Dames cueillant des fleurs), 1879
  • at the National Gallery of London
    • Le Lac du Bois de Boulogne (Jour d’été), 1879,
  • at the Art Institute of Chicago :
    • Femme et enfant au balcon, 1871–72, 
    • Femme à sa toilette , 1875–1880
    • Jeune fille de dos à sa toilette, encore intitulé Femme à sa toilette 1879, oil on canvas, 6
    • Autoportrait, 1885, pastel on paper, 47.5 × 37.5 cm,
    • La Forêt de Compiègne, 1885, oil on canvas,
    • Le Bain (Jeune file se coiffant), 1885–1886,

My tips :

  • Book you ticket in advance : Though you won’t be able to avoid waiting in line (because of the safety check) I highly recommend you to book you ticket in advance. Then go directly to the Entrance C dedicated to those who have already got a ticket. 
  • Best days and times : 
    • Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the opening time (9.30am. Best being there around 9/9.15am)
    • Thursday at the opening night. I suggest that you’d be there around 7pm or later. (Thursday closing time at 9.45pm)
    • Avoid if possible the weekends.And the Monday is the closing day.
  • Transportation : I favor Solferino metro stop rather than Musée d’Orsay metro stop. From Solferino metro stop, about 5 minutes walk but the taking the metro (rather than the RER) is more pleasant so as the exit. And the walk to the Museum is nice too. 

Practical details : 

  • Address : Musée d’Orsay , 1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur – Paris 7 . Metro and RER : Solferino metro stop or RER C Musée d’Orsay metro stop  – 
  • Opening hours :
    • Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9.30am to 6 pm
    • Thursday : from 9.30am to 9.45pm
  • Closed on Mondays, the 1st January, 1st of May and 25th of December
  • Full price : 15 euros

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MORE PHOTOS OF BERTHE MORISOT’s PAINTINGS

Eugene Manet with his Daughter in the Garden,1883

Eugene Manet with his Daughter in the Garden,1883

Berthe Morisot Julie Manet with a budgie - 1890

Berthe Morisot Julie Manet with a budgie – 1890

Child among the Hollyhocks, 1881, Wallraf-Richartz Museum

Child among the Hollyhocks, 1881, Wallraf-Richartz Museum

MMT156737 Self Portrait, 1885 (oil on canvas) by Morisot, Berthe (1841-95) oil on canvas 61x50 Musee Marmottan, Paris, France French, out of copyright

Self Portrait, 1885 by Berthe Morisot, 1885 – Musee Marmottan, Paris, 

The Artists' Daughter Julie With Her Nanny, c.1884, Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Artists’ Daughter Julie With Her Nanny, c.1884, Minneapolis Institute of Art

 

“Young Girl with Basket” 1892 by Berthe Morisot

“Young Girl with Basket” 1892 by Berthe Morisot

Self portrait - Vincent Van Gogh

Musée d’Orsay : a real must-see (2 videos below, on this page)

Not only a great museum, but a great building too. The building itself is worth a visit.

The Musée d’Orsay is located on the left bank of the river Seine, in the 7th arrondissement (= district) of Paris. 
Carte Paris avec Musée d'Orsay
It shows the arts of the period from 1848 to 1914 (it picks up where the Louvre ends) : paintings, sculptures, furniture and photography. It’s the world’s largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art work from the period 1848 – 1904

The collections :

The museum exhibits impressionist and post impressionist collections and let a lot of space to the earlier Realists. Also temporary exhibitions

The impressionist and post impressionist paintings include works by Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, Vincent Van Gogh….      

The French impressionists :  the great revolution of the 19th century, began in Paris in the 1860s. The artists started to break with the academic values of the past.

Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant

Impression (1872) – Monet

The Impressionist movement has no founder though Manet and Courbet inspired many of the younger artists. However, one says that the name “Impressionism” comes from a painting by Claude Monet : “Impression” (= “Sunrise »), a view from Le Havre in the mist from 1872.

The impressionist artists aimed to capture the impression of what the eye sees at a given moment. Their favourite subjects were : landscapes, and scenes from the urban life.

The leading neo-Impressionist was Georges Seurat.

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“Le déjeuner sur l’herbe” – 1863 – Edouard Manet

It took later generations to fully appreciate the work of the Impressionists. In 1863, Manet’s “Le déjeuner sur l’herbe” was rejected by the officiel salon of that year. Cezanne was rejected all his life. Degas sold only one painting to a museum an dSisley died unknown. Only Renoir and Monet were ever acclaimed in their lifetimes.

  • Ground floor : all paintings prior to 1870 : Degas before 1870, first Monet’s paintings, Toulouse, Lautrec, Cezanne, Manet, Courbet…
  • The museum central aisle : an assorted selection of sculptures of the middle of the 19th century.. and a copy of the Statue of Liberty. 
  • Level 2 : Gauguin and Van Gogh (number 70,71,72 rooms) …
  • Level 5 : the collection of impressionist art (Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Pissaro, Sisley…)—————————————————————

A quick visit of The Orsay Museum before you come !

ORSAY : The story of an old railway station

Orsay train station, built in 1900

The museum building was originally a 19th railway station called “Orléans station” after the name of the city of Orléans.  The trains were going from Paris to the city of Orléans. It was built between 1898 and 1900.  The railway station closed late 19th century. It reopened as the Musée d’Orsay in 1986.

aulenti-2

Gaetana Olenti, architect

The Italian architect Gaetana Aulenti (1927 – 2012), reinvented the  Orleans train station, She was a defiant figure in a field dominated by men,  one of 2 women to graduate in the class of 1954, of the Milan Polytechnic School of Architecture. “…She’ll be remembered for the audacity of her vision.” (The New York Times)—–—————————————————

 

A 1 minute video, to know more about Orsay museum amazing story :

Practical details :

  • Address : 1 rue de la Légion d’honneur. +33 (0) 1 40 49 48 14
  • Metro stop : Solférino  – RER C :  Musée d’Orsay Buses : 24, 68, 69, 84 – Batobus stop : « Musée d’Orsay » nearby
  • Opening time : 9.30 am – 6pm Tues-Sun (9.45pm on Thursdays) Closed on Mondays, on 5/01 and on 12/25 – Last ticket sold 1 hour before closing.
  • You can take photos inside the museum (but with no flash) – A great news for all the photographers !

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    “Le restaurant” on the 1st floor

  • Audioguides are available in English (and in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japonese, Chinese and Russian for 5 euros
  • 2 restaurants : Ground floor, level 1 (« The restaurant ») and Level 5 (Café Campana)
  • and a café (“Café de L’ours” : for a light lunch – at the ground floor )
  • One of the restaurants called “Le restaurant” is located on the 1st floor. It’s the former restaurant of the Hôtel d’Orsay (which was a part of the Orléans (=Orsay) train station. It is still as it was when it opened in 1900 and is listed as a Historic Monument.

Ticket purchase

My advice :

  • A real must-see on your visit to Paris especially if you are an impressionist art lover. A gem. The architecture is beautiful and the building itself is worth seeing. I love it. But the collection of impressionist and neo impressionist art is fantastic. This is one of my favorite museums in Paris. This museum may be your favorite in Paris !! Don’t miss it.
  • Choose to visit the Musée d’Orsay at opening time. (for a more peaceful visit). The crowd and the queues can be quite large. Better not choose a weekend day.
  • Prepare your visit before you come : look at the map of the museum and choose the artists and paintings you want to see first. Allow a minimum of 2 hours for your visit, A whole morning or afternoon is better. but you could easily spend an entire day looking at everything !
  • My advice would be to start visiting the 5th floor. Don’t miss the 5th floor where the most famous works are located
  • Important : buy your tickets on line It’s highly recommended. Sometimes if you’ven’t got a ticket, you may wait more than one hour.
  • Don’t miss the several giants clocks which are wonderful and very impressive (at the ground floor – a golden huge clock and at the level 5 – a glass clocks)
  • Also a great view over central Paris from the level 5‘ : from the terrace and through the large glass clock !. But this winter (2016) it had to be seen though the museum’s windows (terrace not opened)
  • Other paintings by Monet are exhibited in Paris or nearby Paris : at Musée Marmottan Monet (in Paris), Orangerie Museum (in Paris) and Giverny (located 75 km west from Paris)