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Berthe Morisot Biography for Kids

Berthe Morisot Biography for Kids

Bonjour! I am Berthe Morisot, and I am a woman painter! This is the Berthe Morisot biography for kids!

Berthe Morisot Biography for Kids
Berthe Morisot Biography for Kids

I was born in and always lived in France.

Map of France
Map of France

When I was 16, my mother paid for me to take art lessons…

Girl Gathering Cherries by Berthe Morisot
Girl Gathering Cherries by Berthe Morisot

but I was barred from the famous art school because I am a female, not a male. They only wanted male students. But I often went to the Louvre – you know, the famous museum in Paris – to copy the Old Masters.

Louvre Museum in Paris, France
Louvre Museum in Paris, France

Perhaps you’ve heard of some of the Old Masters? You know, like Giotto,

Giotto Portrait by Paolo Uccello
Giotto Portrait by Paolo Uccello

Ghiberti,

Self-Portrait by Ghiberti
Self-Portrait by Ghiberti

Fra Angelico,

Portrait of Fra Angelico by Carlo Dolci
Portrait of Fra Angelico by Carlo Dolci

Michelangelo,

Portrait of Michelangelo by Marcello Venusti
Portrait of Michelangelo by Marcello Venusti

Durer,

Self-Portrait at the Age of Twenty-Eight by Albrecht Durer
Self-Portrait at the Age of Twenty-Eight by Albrecht Durer

El Greco,

Portrait of an Old Man (Presumed Self-Portrait) by El Greco
Portrait of an Old Man (Presumed Self-Portrait) by El Greco

Rembrandt,

Self-Portrait 1630 by Rembrandt
Self-Portrait 1630 by Rembrandt

and Thomas Gainsborough.

Self-Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough
Self-Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough

I like the Louvre and all the paintings from those great painters before me! One day I met Edouard Manet, now known as a famous Impressionist.

Edouard Manet Standing by Edgar Degas
Edouard Manet Standing by Edgar Degas

Do not mix him up with Claude Monet, another Impressionist.

Claude Monet Reading by Pierre Auguste Renoir
Claude Monet Reading by Pierre Auguste Renoir

There is Monet and Manet. Manet, not Monet, and I became close friends and we learned much from each other. I was influenced by his technique, and I posed for a number of paintings for him.

Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets 
1872 by Edouard Manet
Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets
1872 by Edouard Manet
The Rest Portrait of Berthe Morisot 1870 by Edouard Manet
The Rest Portrait of Berthe Morisot
1870 by Edouard Manet
Portrait of Berthe Morisot by Edouard Manet
Portrait of Berthe Morisot by Edouard Manet

Then he encouraged me to try outdoor painting, you know “in plain air” that Impressionists like – well except for Edgar Degas.

Being a woman painter, it has been difficult to gain respect, though the men have liked to gather for socializing in my home. You see, I married Edouard Manet’s brother, Eugene…

Eugene Manet on the Isle of Wight by Berthe Morisot
Eugene Manet on the Isle of Wight by Berthe Morisot

and together we had a daughter, Julie.

Eugene Manet with His Daughter at Bougival by Berthe Morisot
Eugene Manet with His Daughter at Bougival by Berthe Morisot

I love to paint intimate portraits of domestic life…

The Cradle 1872 by Berthe Morisot
The Sewing Lesson aka the Artists Daughter Julie with Her Nanny by Berthe Morisot

as well as outdoor scenes.

A Corner of the Rose Garden by Berthe Morisot
A Corner of the Rose Garden by Berthe Morisot

Most of my paintings are of women…

At the Ball 1875 by Berthe Morisot
At the Ball 1875 by Berthe Morisot

children…

Children At the Basin 1886 by Berthe Morisot
Children At the Basin
1886 by Berthe Morisot

or nature scenes. My favorite model is my daughter, Julie.

Julie Daydreaming By Berthe Morisot
Julie Daydreaming By Berthe Morisot

My most famous painting is called The Cradle and is of my sister, Edma, with her baby daughter. I bring a woman’s touch to art.

The Cradle 1872 by Berthe Morisot
The Cradle
1872 by Berthe Morisot

I like to use bright colors…

The Red Blouse by Berthe Morisot
The Red Blouse by Berthe Morisot

and experiment with textures and thick brush strokes or light, feathery, delicate brush strokes.

After Luncheon by Berthe Morisot
After Luncheon by Berthe Morisot

But the men are often taking my paintings and copying them, trying to “improve” on my work. Edouard Manet made me so angry when he retouched my picture The Artist’s Mother and Sister.

Portrait of the Artist's Mother and Sister by Berthe Morisot
Portrait of the Artist’s Mother and Sister by Berthe Morisot

Just like some of the men Impressionists, I got accepted into the Salon – you know, the French art show – before we started our own Impressionist exhibitions, and then I only missed one Impressionist exhibition because of the birth of my daughter.

Julie Manet and Her Nurse by Berthe Morisot
Julie Manet and Her Nurse by Berthe Morisot

In a touching tribute of the men’s respect for me, Edgar Degas arranged a memorial exhibition after I died.

Here is what you should remember about me. I am Berthe Morisot, who lived in the late 1800s. I am a woman painter in the era of French Impressionism known for my textured painting, pictures of women and children, and intimate scenes of domestic life.

Check out the video too!

Resources:

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