Berthe Morisot

Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Rouart, Paris (by descent from the artist)
Sam Salz Inc., New York
Evelyn Annenberg Jaffe Hall (acquired from the above in 1952)
Sale: Christie's, New York, May 6, 2009, lot 49
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Galerie Durand-Ruel et Cie, Madame Eugène Manet, Exposition de son oeuvre, 1896, no. 52
Paris, Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, Société du Salon d'Automne, 1907, no. 57
Copenhagen, Musée Royal, Fransk Malerkunst fra det 19nde Aarhundredi, 1914, no. 156
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune et Cie, Cent oeuvres de Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), 1919, no. 40
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune et Cie, Exposition d'oeuvres de Berthe Morisot, 1929, no. 65
Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, Berthe Morisot, 1941, no. 89, p. 20
New York, Wildenstein & Co., Loan Exhibition of Paintings, Berthe Morisot, 1960, no. 51, illustrated in the catalogue

Monique Angoulvent, Berthe Morisot, Paris, 1933, no. 513
Louis Rouart, Berthe Morisot, Paris, 1941, illustrated p. 42
Elizabeth Mongan, Berthe Morisot: Drawings, Pastels, Watercolors, Paintings, New York, 1960, illustrated p. 166
Marie-Louise Bataille & Georges Wildenstein, Berthe Morisot: Catalogue des peintures, pastels et aquarelles, Paris, 1961, no. 270, illustrated fig. 267
Alain Clairet, Delphine Montalant & Yves Rouart, Berthe Morisot 1841-1895: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Montolivet, 1997, no. 274, illustrated p. 250

This work was examined in its frame. It is possible that the canvas is lined with another very thin canvas but I was not able to ascertain this for certain (it is quite stiff and the edges are covered with tape but the canvas remains thin to the touch). The paint surface is in excellent condition, there are no signs of craquelure or shrinkage. A close inspection reveals some in-painting to a few tiny spots of paint-loss towards the lower edge that is just about visible to the naked eye (cf. photo 1592) and some very minor old frame rubbing visible along the upper edge. Examination under UV light reveals a vertical line of fluorescence of approx. 3 inches that dissects the signature in the lower left corner together with two associated small spots of fluorescence. This appears to be a restored tear and where the stamped signature was damaged the 'M' has been painted in. This work remains in very good condition.
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.

Like those of fellow female Impressionist Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot’s chosen subjects were frequently women and children shown in simple poses or engaged in daily activities. Although the society into which she was born did not freely recognize women as professional artists, her work was executed with a deftness that placed her as a recognized colleague of Monet, Renoir, Pissarro and Sisley, with whom she frequently exhibited. Her paintings represent a synthesis of the feminine subject and the bold technique of the Impressionist movement. Paul Mantz has described her work as having “all the frankness of an improvisation; it does truly give the idea of an ‘impression’ registered by a sincere eye and rendered again by a hand completely without trickery” (Kathleen Adler & Tamar Garb, Berthe Morisot, Ithaca, 1987, p. 72).

The present work depicts Morisot’s favorite subject, Julie Manet, her daughter with Eugene Manet. Julie is seated at an easel in the drawing room-studio of the house in the rue de Villejust, the home Morisot and her husband began building in 1881. Julie’s vivid dress figures prominently in the foreground, drawing the viewer's rapt attention, while only a few minor details stand out against the brushy, Impressionist background, including a statue on pedestal that Julie appears to be studying.