Berthe Morisot @ Dulwich Picture Gallery Review
Two of our volunteers, Emma and Martina, took a trip to Dulwich Picture Gallery to see the current exhibition on Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism. Take a look at their reviews below:
Review written by Emma Vukman
The Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism exhibition at The Dulwich Picture Gallery was, without doubt, an enchanting experience. I had, surprisingly, never set foot on the grounds before, but when I did for the first time to enter the gallery for the exhibition, it immediately set the scene for what I was about to experience.
An idyllic garden with a busy yet calm atmosphere of people at peace, drinking their tea and eating their cake and enjoying the sun — this all seemed to transport me into one of Morisot’s very own paintings.
Walking inside, I was immediately transported back in time with the early 19th century gallery architecture, and when I entered the first room of the exhibition itself, the first thing I noticed was the pastel blue and green coloured walls. I found this perfectly in line with the typical colour palette of Morisot herself, while it also seemed to enhance the colours in the paintings displayed. Quotes by Morisot and her admirers were mounted in each room, highlighting her most recognised skillsets and sources of inspiration.
The paintings displayed didn’t only serve to exhibit Morisot’s work, but instead, managed to take me on a journey through her life, her thoughts, her personality, and her direct sources of inspiration. In between Morisot’s own paintings were pieces created by her biggest influences, which helped shape the thought process behind her work while taking us behind the scenes and letting us into her artistic mind. It felt personal and intimate, as if she was sharing her greatest secrets with me. The descriptions for each piece were very well curated and created a cohesive thread piecing the different works together and shaping the journey of Berthe Morisot. Morisot’s work itself was simply bewitching in every which way. The colour palettes, the strokes, the themes, and the poses of the models almost seemed otherworldly. They reminded me of ethereal humans mirroring themselves in gentle waterfalls, with sunbeams creating reflections of twinkling lights. Soft movements, rough shapes, and the calming colours of nature.
Underneath the paintings, I noticed a few stickers here and there with questions for families visiting the exhibition in order to make the experience more interactive and interesting for the younger audience. This brought a smile to my face, and I was very pleased to see that one of the questions encouraged a discussion on the topic of sexism.
Once I reached the end of the exhibition, and the end of Berthe Morisot’s journey as an artist and her personal life, I felt a deep wave of emotions wash through me. It was as if I was saying goodbye to an old friend, a mentor, a role model. Being an artist myself, I felt as if I was paying a tribute to a woman who made me see the possibility in making myself visible through the fog of patriarchal segregations, as long as I believed it was possible.
Review written by Martina Vestrucci
In a male dominated world, Berthe Morisot opened the door to the female world, far more complex and introspective of what the male gaze could ever catch.
It is the nineteenth century. Women were excluded from the official art academy, the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, until 1897. However, Berthe Morisot was determined and her family enrolled her in private art classes.
In a period where women encountered numerous obstacles in their journey to become paintresses, Morisot had a revolutionary and remarkable role in the artistic world.
The exhibition “Berthe Morisot – Shaping Impressionism” at the Dulwich Picture Gallery offer a good insight in Morisot’s artistic journey and her essential role as a founder member of the Impressionist group.
Her pantings reflect her experience as a middle class woman. She has a preference for the domestic spaces, where she can represent the female world in all its simplicity but also from a different perspective to her male colleagues. In Morisot’s painting we can recognise the female gaze.
The women that she represents have agency, they are protagonist of the scene and not just sensual objects. Berthe Morisot paints women with empathy and sensibility. In her paintings she captures moment of quiet introspections, moment of life. “My ambition was limited to wanting to capture something of what goes by, just something, the smallest thing” as Morisot said.
In the exhibition we can also admire painting of her daughter Julie, whom soon became one of her favourite models. When Morisot became a mother aged 37, she decided to not give up her professional life. Indeed, through this painting we can see her daughter being looked after by servants, whose caring job allowed Morisot to pursue her artistic career and to combine art, marriage and motherhood.
Berthe Morisot has her own unique style, where the impressionist style blends in with the eighteenth century art. The exhibition highlights this strong connection and her love for exploration and transformation. Morisot enjoys experimenting with different medias, such as pastels and red chalk and use them in her distinctive impressionist way, as we can see in “Perching in the Tree” or in “Young Woman Reclining”.
“Berthe Morisot – Shaping Impressionism” allows the visitors to understand Morisot’s essential role in founding Impressionism and gives finally a voice to a revolutionary woman who had the courage to follow her dream to become a paintress in a male dominated artistic world.
My Favourite
Young Woman Watering a Shrub – 1876
This painting spokes to me. Morisot was able to capture a simple moment and to make it look like is full of life. I love the perspective from behind and the fluidity of dress. Once again, women are active protagonist in the scene.