Edouard Manet (1832-1833)
Portrait of Berthe Morisot
1872
Etching
4 1/4 x 3″  (10.8 x 7.6 cm)
Wetmore Print Collection, Connecticut College
FW-0292

Manet’s careful portrayal of Berthe Morisot suggests a deeper emotional understanding of his subject that conveys their intimate relationship. As his close friend, in-law, lover and fellow artist, Morisot was a frequent subject of Manet’s portraiture, such as Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets (1872) upon which this print is based. Manet employs nervous line work and urgent energy to present a complex and anxious depiction of Morisot, evocative of his intimate understanding of her character. These intricacies and the carefully iterated form make for a dynamic portrait of an artist whose work, like that of her fellow Impressionists’, was highly influenced by Manet.