Berthe Morisot

Julie Manet Rouart (inherited from the artist)
Durand-Ruel, Rosenberg & Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired from the above on October 31, 1917)
Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired Durand-Ruel's share in the picture on February 26, 1923)
Arthur Tooth & Sons, Ltd., London
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald M. Simon, Edenbridge (acquired from the above circa 1957)
Galerie Hopkins-Custot, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner

 

Paris, Boussod, Valadon & Cie, Exposition de tableaux, pastels et dessins par Berthe Morisot, 1892, no. 26
Paris, Galerie Durand-Ruel, Berthe Morisot (Madame Eugène Manet), exposition de son oeuvre, 1896, no. 17
Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André, Berthe Morisot, 1961, no. 78
London, Wildenstein & Co., Ltd., The French Impressionists and some of their Contemporaries, 1963, no. 50

Monique Angoulvent, Berthe Morisot, Paris, 1933, no. 287
Marie-Louise Bataille and Georges Wildenstein, Berthe Morisot, catalogue des peintures, pastels et aquarelles, Paris, 1961, no. 287, catalogued p. 43 and illustrated fig. 287
Alain Clairet, Delphine Montalant and Yves Rouart, Berthe Morisot 1841-1895, catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Paris, 1997, no. 291, illustrated p. 257

Good condition. Surface is clean and retains a good layer of impasto, especially on her dress. Area of thinness to the left of the figure's head. Under UV light, several strokes of inpainting fluoresce in figure's forehead, the bridge of her nose, left and above her mouth. Small repair left of her right shoulder and just a few other small pinhead-size dots of inpainting elsewhere in the background. All of these are visible only under UV light. Otherwise, fine.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Berthe Morisot was one of the leading portrait painters of the Impressionist group, and this lovely picture from 1891 is a wonderful example of her talents within this genre. Morisot was a pioneer among the avant-garde, not only because she was one of the few female members of the Impressionist group, but also because she approached portraiture with a distinctive style and intimacy that was unmatched by her contemporaries.  Her work was characterized by what critics praised as a 'light and airy brushwork,' and her models were usually women and children whom she knew from her bourgeois circle.  According to a letter from the artist's daughter Julie, the model in Petite fille à l'oiseau was a girl named Cocotte, who worked for a haberdasher.  During the winter of 1891-82, Cocotte sat for Morisot's Fillette au chapeau, now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Fillette au panier, the pastel study of which is in the collection of the Musée Marmottan, Paris (see fig. 1).  Morisot completed this picture in her studio on the rue de Villejust, where Julie's pet sparrow and parakeet fluttered about the drawing room. 

Petite fille à l'oiseau was completed during the last years of Morisot's life, when she was also working largely with pastel and watercolor.  We can see the influence of those media in the present canvas, which possesses the finish and luster of a traditional oil painting, as well as the exquisite touches of draftsmanship. Morisot's palette here is comprised of soft, pearlescent colors, and she applies them to the canvas with individual strokes that mimic the effect of velvety pastels. Around the time that the artist was working on this canvas, she was also in frequent contact with her Impressionist colleague Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Petite fille à l'oiseau evidences the strong influences the two artists had on each other's style, as Renoir was also incorporating a similar technique and color scheme into his canvases during the early 1890s. 

Fig. 1, Berthe Morisot, Fillette au panier, 1891, pastel on paper, Musée Marmottan, Paris