Wednesday 27 October 2010

Berthe Morisot (1841–1895)

Still Life with Cut Apple and Pitcher

Berthe Morisot studied with Corot
and married the brother of Édouard Manet,
She was an influential member
of the Parisian Impressionists,
exhibiting alongside Cezanne, Degas and Renoir.

Her paintings provide insights into her life
that I recognise from my own experience
one hundred and forty years later.

White Flowers in a Bowl

I could have featured 'The Cradle',
a study of the intense relationship
between mother and child.

Daffodils

Or any of the intimate portraits
that capture the violin lesson,
the little girl with the doll,
the picnic on the grass
or the child at the garden gate.

Dahlias

But this is my first half term without children
so if you don't mind
we will look at pictures of
apples, flowers and china bowls.

It seems safer.

15 comments:

  1. That glasss jug in the first one is so good.

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  2. I would love small prints of these in a quiet corner of my home.

    They are so beautiful...I am off to follow the link.

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  3. Beautiful paintings, just beautiful. It takes a bit of getting used to the empty nest.........

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  4. My mum and I discovered Berthe Morisot at the National Museum of Women in the Arts many years ago. The most wonderful exhibition. She really should be better known than she is.

    K x

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  5. one learns something every day

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  6. Oh MrsM, I do hope the house is not too quiet but, stuck in the middle of a very full half term, I can imagine there must be an unnerving stillness. The pictures are lovely.

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  7. such soothing paintings xxx

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  8. and china bowls is sooo MrsM :o)

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  9. M and I saw her paintings a year or so ago at an exhibit here. We liked her a lot. About the rest of it -- one does seem to get used to it, but it's not easy. I'm sending back the hug --

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  10. I wonder if she featured any breaking up squabbles moments. Such seems to be the reality of half term with plenty of rain and even more children than usual.

    The fruit and flowers were a welcome interlude!

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  11. I have a son playing guitar at full amplification as I type... would you like to borrow him?

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  12. Hang on, I can have my smalls in the car and underway within 10 minutes. A quick trip round the M25 and they'll be with you by bedtime.

    No, really, it would be my pleasure. You may have to watch Blue Peter on repeat loop though, and supervise violin practice.

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  13. Oh Alice, I felt my heart in my mouth as I read the last lines. How can it all go by so quickly?

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  14. So knowledgeable about art...and yet the vagaries of the knackwurst eludes you.

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