Berthe_Morisot the female impressionist

In a swirl of delicate strokes, the 1875 painting Woman at her Toilette by Berthe Morisot evokes a fleeting and intimate glimpse of awoman arranging her hair at her dressing table mirror.

Woman at her Toilette features a nuanced range of icy pale tones of pink, blue, white, and silver. This painting is an example of Berthe Morisot's ephemeral approach.Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), a talented pupil of the pastoral painter Camille Corot, experienced mild success when Edoaurd Manet introduced her to a circle of young painters. These painters welcomed her into their circle, where they debated ideas about contemporary art. Eventually this circle was to be known as the Impressionists.

As one of the only women in the Impressionist group, Berthe Morisot found herself drawing special attention from contemporary critics -- including one critic who dismissed the Impressionists as "five or six lunatics, including one woman" -- both for her gender and for her deft brushwork. In Impressionist paintings such asThe Cradle and Hanging the Laundry out to Dry, Berthe Morisot examined the day-to-day lives of contemporary women, but in all of them, she displays the grace and intimacy that were the hallmarks of the Impressionist movement.

•  Berthe Morisot, like Camille Pissarro, was a dedicated outdoor painter. Learn aboutThe Harbor at Lorient, an example of plein air painting.
• Reading: Reading by Berthe Morisot was praised by critics as graceful and confident.
• The Cradle: In The Cradle, Berthe Morisot examined the daily lives of ordinary women.
• Hanging the Laundry out to Dry:  exemplifies the artist's gift for using light and color.
• Woman at her Toilette: Berthe Morisot's 1881 painting Woman at her Toilette is an example of Morisot's continued interest in capturing the quiet moments of women's lives.