Portrait of Berthe Morisot with a Fan

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Édouard Manet represented his close friend artist Berthe Morisot twelve times between 1868 and 1874 in etching, lithography, oil paint, and watercolor. In this watercolor Manet used a limited palette and a combination of techniques to depict Morisot against a blue-green background. He worked wet-into-wet for her dress, applying wet pigment onto an already wet surface before it had time to dry, which allowed the marks to bleed and blend into one another. Then Manet used a dry-brush technique to emphasize the texture of the fabric of her dress and the ribbon in her hair. Both these textures contrast with the relative flatness of the muted background, making the sitter stand out.

Source ↗