Berthe Morisot

I just discovered the impressionist artist Berthe Morisot today via the fuckyeahimpressionism Tumblr blog. According to that ever-reliable falcon of soul Wikipedia, one of the main reasons she's not well known is because she was born equipped with a vagina.  All the better to love her, I say.

Young Girl With Doll

1884

This is the initial painting that drew me to her.  It's stunning.  I love the innocence of the girl's face and her entire expression, and the black that concentrates your eyes to the element of timidness there.  It reflects such . . . fragility.  Looking through her portfolio she seems to paint children frequently, especially young girls.  

On the Balcony 

1872

As I was explaining earlier to Oscar, painters who are able to use black are some of my favourites.  I love contrast in paintings.  I love contrast in photos and sculptures and life, but especially in paintings.  Black is one of the most difficult colours to pull of, but when a painter does it successfully it simply oozes elegance.  This painting I like because it contrasts the difference between what the little girl and the woman see from their same view.  It channels the strange and uncomfortable process of going from a tiny, white-clad, innocent to a societal, black-clad, structured woman.  

Psyche

1876

In addition to her depictions of young girls, she also seems to have painted many high society women, none of whom look particularly enlivened.  Most are either very dressed up and bound, or in the process of becoming very dressed up and bound.  Her young girls, on the other hand, reflect either the purity of youth, or a sense of disdain at societal things.  To give a more concrete example of what I mean, take a look at this painting:

Lucie Leon at the Piano

1892

It seems obvious to me that the vast majority of her paintings are depicting a strong displeasure with late 19th century French society, and especially the induction process that females must go through in order to maintain social status.  This makes sense, because she was born into a bourgeois familial line.  One more for the road, to highlight once more her view of an innocent young child in contrast with a high society French bourgeois woman:

The Cradle

1872

She was also, it seems, a muse of Manet's.  I'd urge whoever you are to look up some of Manet's portraits of Morisot at some point; they're absolutely gorgeous.

So, in conclusion, we have a French female feminist impressionist contrast-capable painter.  I approve of you, Berthe Morisot.