Artwork
Berthe Morisot with a Muff
Berthe Morisot with a Muff is an unspecified painting by the Impressionist artist Édouard Manet. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1958.34
- Credit line
- Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr.
About this work
The loose brushstrokes and quick shadows look like her own style, maybe a quiet nod to her work.
A woman in a dark coat and feathered hat holds a fur muff close to her chest. Her face is pale, her gaze steady, almost challenging.
Manet painted this portrait of Berthe Morisot, another artist, around 1872. The loose brushstrokes and quick shadows look like her own style, maybe a quiet nod to her work. It’s one of two winter portraits he made of her.
Look up impasto to see how thick, visible brushstrokes give paintings like this their texture.
Overview
Berthe Morisot with a Muff is a portrait painting by Édouard Manet, created around 1872. It depicts the artist Berthe Morisot dressed in winter attire.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows Morisot in a dark coat and feathered hat, holding a fur muff. Her pale face and steady gaze convey a sense of quiet confidence. The portrait is one of two Manet painted of Morisot in winter clothing.
Technique & Style
Manet's use of loose brushstrokes and impasto creates a textured, almost sketchy effect. The crosshatchings used to describe shadows add to this impression, echoing the style of Morisot's own paintings.
Context
The portrait reflects Morisot's identity as an artist, with Manet's technique paying homage to her own style. The painting is a representation of Morisot in a private moment, dressed for winter.
Artist & collection
Artist
Édouard Manet was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.
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