Berthe Morisot was a pioneering French painter and printmaker who became one of the founding figures of the Impressionist movement. Born into a cultured Parisian family, Morisot studied under established academic artists before developing a more modern and expressive style influenced by outdoor painting and contemporary life. She first exhibited at the prestigious Salon de Paris in 1864, earning recognition for her refined technique and luminous compositions.
In 1874, Morisot joined the first independent Impressionist exhibition alongside artists including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro. She participated in nearly all of the group’s exhibitions and became known for her delicate brushwork, subtle palette, and intimate portrayals of domestic life, women, and children.
Morisot was closely connected to Édouard Manet and later married his brother, Eugène Manet. Today, she is celebrated as one of the most important women artists of the nineteenth century and a central figure in Impressionism.
