Artwork

The Pink Dress (Albertie-Marguerite Carré, later Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes, 1854–1935)

The Pink Dress (Albertie-Marguerite Carré, later Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes, 1854–1935) is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting, titled The Pink Dress, portrays the young Albertie‑Marguerite Carré in a pink garment, identified in the sources as the main subject of the work.

The painting, titled The Pink Dress, portrays the young Albertie‑Marguerite Carré in a pink garment, identified in the sources as the main subject of the work. Executed by Berthe Morisot in 1870, the oil on canvas portrait measures 54.6 × 67.3 cm and belongs to the portrait genre. Both the title and the descriptive metadata note that the sitter was later known as Madame Ferdinand‑Henri Himmes, linking the image to a specific bourgeois sitter of the period.

The composition emphasizes the sitter’s attire and demeanor, serving as a conventional representation of a young woman of middle‑class standing in late‑19th‑century France.

Technique & Style

The Pink Dress is an oil on canvas portrait painted by Berthe Morisot in 1870. The work, measuring 54.6 × 67.3 cm, depicts Albertie‑Marguerite Carré in a pink dress, a motif that dominates the composition. Morisot employs delicate brushstrokes to render the fabric’s sheen and the sitter’s soft features, creating a luminous surface with subtle tonal transitions typical of Impressionist portraiture.

The painting’s support is a stretched canvas, and the pigment is applied in thin layers that preserve the translucency of the pink garment while maintaining a realistic rendering of the figure. Formal qualities include a balanced composition, restrained palette, and an emphasis on atmospheric light.

History & Provenance

The painting The Pink Dress was created by Berthe Morisot in 1870, as confirmed by both internal documentation and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s records. The work depicts Albertie-Marguerite Carré, who later became Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes (1854–1935). Morisot’s portrait captures Carré in a pink dress, aligning with the genre of portraiture.

The painting entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, where it remains housed, with dimensions recorded as 54.6 cm in height and 67.3 cm in width. The commission and creation history are tied to Morisot’s early career, reflecting her engagement with contemporary subjects during the late 19th century.

Berthe Morisot's 1870 oil painting, The Pink Dress, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, which depicts Albertie-Marguerite Carré, is executed on canvas with dimensions of 54.6 cm in height and 67.3 cm in width. While the specific inventory or accession number is not detailed in the provided records, the painting is cataloged within the museum's holdings as a portrait from the late 19th century.

The available documentation does not list a specific exhibition history for this work, noting only its creation date and current institutional location.

Overview

Berthe Morisot's 1870 oil painting, "The Pink Dress," captures a portrait of Albertie-Marguerite Carré, who later became Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes. This work, a notable example of Morisot's early career, is currently housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It presents a domestic scene, focusing on the sitter's presence and attire within a private interior.