Artheon MuseumArtheonMuseum
Reading by Berthe Morisot (French, 1841–1895)

Medium

oil on fabric

Dimensions

unframed: 46 × 71.8 cm · framed: 74.3 × 100.3 × 12.1 cm

Classification

Painting

Department

Modern European Painting and Sculpture

Museum

Cleveland Museum of Art

Credit

Gift of the Hanna Fund

Accession Number

1950.89

Tags

female

About this artwork

The fashionable woman seated in the foreground is the artist's sister, Edma. However, the painting is not a portrait. Morisot's principal concern was to render a figure in a natural, outdoor environment. Edma's white dress—the prime vehicle for Morisot's study of reflected light—is saturated with delicate lavender, blue, yellow, and rose tonalities. Deftly executed with quick brushstrokes, the painting resounds with a feeling of freshness, vibrancy, and delicate charm. "Every day I pray that the...

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