Description
Berthe Morisot faces the viewer beneath a large dark hat in Édouard Manet’s portrait etching. Ribbons and dark hatching gather around her head and bodice, while the lighter face holds the eye. The contrast gives the sitter a direct presence, making dress and likeness closely connected without allowing the decorative forms to overwhelm the person within them.
Created in 1872–74, the etching gives Morisot’s portrait a graphic character distinct from a painted likeness. Its worked lines concentrate attention within a small printed form, allowing a face to hold significance without an elaborate setting. The work’s interest lies in the encounter between an artist and a sitter whose own identity belongs to art. A portrait can suggest that connection while remaining closely attentive to one person at a particular moment.
Read our guide to giclée prints, browse more Édouard Manet prints, or explore Berthe Morisot.
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