The Artist's Sister, Mme. Pontillon, Seated on the Grass

2. Berthe Morisot, French 1841-1895. The Artist's Sister, Mme. Pontillon, Seated on the Grass ("Reading"), 1873. Oil on canvas, 45.1 x 72.4 cm. Gift of the Hanna Fund, 1950.89

Berthe Morisot painted this scene of her sister, Edma, when they were vacationing on the Normandy coast in the summer of 1873. Shown the following year at the first impressionist exhibition, it displays Morisot's preoccupation with the human figure in natural light. Strokes of light-filled color replace the dark shadows of the traditional painting of the time. Her brush strokes dart and dance on the surface, merging the sunlit figure and the landscape. The painting reflects Morisot's sensitivity to color and detail, and her wonderful ability to select and arrange every element of her work into a harmonious composition. The shape of the fan echos the umbrella, while the texture of the flower-dotted field resembles that of Edma's floral print dress. The white dress with its violet shadows echoes the white pages of the book and its lavender cover.

Born in 1841 in Bourges, France, Morisot was encouraged in her love of art by her father, a French official who had studied architecture. She frequently visited the Louvre to copy the paintings of the masters, a traditional method of studying art, and took private lessons together with her sister Edma. In the late 19th century, painting was considered a hobby for young ladies, not a profession, and it was unusual for women to exhibit their work. In fact, the École des Beaux-Arts, the national art school, was closed to female artists until 1897. When women were finally allowed to attend the school, they were excluded from the life-drawing classes because the nudity of the models was deemed unsuitable. Women and children were considered proper subjects for female artists.

Morisot had a successful artistic career. Although a founding member of the impressionist group, she exhibited several paintings at the Salon. She studied under many established painters, such as Camille Corot (1796-1875) and Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904). While Edma devoted herself to her family, Berthe balanced her art career with her family life, achieving more professional success than most 19th-century women could hope for.

Vivian Kung and Patricia Richmond
Teacher Resource Center
Department of Education and Public Programs

© 1997 The Cleveland Museum of Art