Morisot: The Independent One
Berthe Morisot (1845-95) was the great granddaughter of Fragonard, an 18th century painter of beautiful women. She refused to study with her stuffy drawing teacher and, instead, painted en plein air with Corot. While copying a Rubens at the Louve, she met Manet, who greatly influenced her work. She, in turn, persuaded him to try open-air painting and brighter colors. She later married his younger brother and put down her brushes to care for the family.
She was treated as an equal by the other Impressionists, receiving her share of condemnation from the critics, to which she just laughed. Like Cassatt, she painted mostly women and children.
She used no outlines, only color to indicate form and volume and her style was even freer than the other Impressionists. In 1875 her works brought higher prices than those of her male colleagues. Her pictures were as pretty as Renoir’s but always had a brooding sadness.