Artwork
Young Woman Knitting
Young Woman Knitting is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot. It dates from 1892 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A woman in a hat and white dress sits knitting amid lush greenery, her face left soft and undefined. Berthe Morisot worked in loose, impressionistic strokes, catching the play of light and color. The mood is quiet, the woman seemingly lost in thought over her work. 1892.
Subject & Meaning
The composition highlights the texture of the knitted fabric and situates the figure in an informal outdoor setting.
Young Woman Knitting (1892) by Berthe Morisot portrays a seated female figure engaged in the act of knitting. She wears a hat trimmed with a ribbon and rests on a chair placed amid a grassy ground. In her hands she holds a length of weft-knit fabric, the yarn looping between her fingers.
The composition highlights the texture of the knitted fabric and situates the figure in an informal outdoor setting.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1892, Young Woman Knitting is an oil painting applied to a canvas support. The work measures approximately 50.2 by 60 centimetres. Morisot's handling of the medium captures the specific textures of the subject matter, including the intricate loops of weft-knit fabric, the folds of a ribbon, and the organic forms of grass.
The composition focuses on a seated woman engaged in knitting, with ancillary elements such as a chair and hat contributing to the domestic outdoor setting.
History & Provenance
Young Woman Knitting was executed by Berthe Morisot in 1892 as an oil painting on canvas. The work measures approximately 50.2 cm in height and 60 cm in width, and depicts a woman seated outdoors, knitting, wearing a hat and ribbon, with grass and a chair visible. The painting is presently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No commission, earlier owners, or further provenance details are recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1892, Young Woman Knitting is an oil painting by the French Impressionist Berthe Morisot. The work depicts a seated female figure engaged in the domestic act of knitting, dressed in a white gown and a hat. She is positioned against a backdrop of lush greenery, suggesting an outdoor or garden setting typical of Morisot's later subjects.
Executed in the artist's characteristic loose and spontaneous style, the composition relies on rapid, visible brushstrokes to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere rather than precise anatomical detail. Notably, the sitter's face is rendered with blurred features, a deliberate artistic choice that prioritizes the overall impression of the scene and the play of light over individual portraiture. This approach reflects Morisot's mature technique, where the boundaries between figure and environment often dissolve.
The painting exemplifies her lifelong dedication to depicting the private lives of women with a sense of immediacy and intimacy. By focusing on a moment of quiet industry within a natural setting, Morisot elevates a mundane domestic activity into a subject of serious artistic inquiry, reinforcing her status as a central figure in the Impressionist movement.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot was a French painter, printmaker and a member of the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists.
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