Berthe Morisot was a French painter and a founding member of the Impressionist movement. Her work focused on light-filled, personal scenes of women, children, and domestic life—subjects often overlooked by her male peers. Barred from official art schools because of her gender, she trained privately and developed a bold, free-flowing style known for its loose brushstrokes and soft colors.
In one of her works, a woman with hands clasped over her knee appears to have just turned to meet the viewer’s gaze. Her relaxed posture, casual clothes, and resemblance to the artist suggest she may be Edma, Berthe’s sister. Both sisters studied art privately, as women were not admitted to France’s national academies until 1897. However, only Berthe pursued a full-time art career. She made history as the only woman who exhibited in the first Impressionist show in 1874.