Berthe Morisot Biography for Kids

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

I was born in and always lived in France.

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

…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.

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

…Ghiberti,

…Fra Angelico,

…Michelangelo,

…Durer,

…El Greco,

…Rembrandt,

and 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.

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

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.

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…

…and together we had a daughter, Julie.

I love to paint intimate portraits of domestic life…

…as well as outdoor scenes.

Most of my paintings are of women…

…children,…

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

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.

I like to use bright colors…

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

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.

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.

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.

Investigate the life and art works of Berthe Morisot in this artist unit study!

I WANT INVESTIGATING BERTHE MORISOT

Check out the video too!

Resources:

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