Peonies

1868

Meeting Édouard Manet

Henri Fantin-Latour introduces Morisot to Édouard Manet, who becomes her longtime friend and colleague. She often poses for him — among the portraits are “Repose” and “Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets” — and at Christmas he gives her an easel.

1869

Her sister Edma marries and gives up painting

Until 1869 Berthe and Edma work side by side, but Edma marries the naval officer Adolphe Pontillon, moves to Cherbourg and has little time to paint. The sisters' letters show how much they miss each other; Edma wholeheartedly supports Berthe's continued work, and the two families remain close.

c. 1869

Destroys almost all her early work

Morisot is never pleased with her own work and destroys nearly everything she produced before 1869, which makes it hard to trace the stages of her training and the influence of her teachers.

1870–1874

The watercolour years

Oil painting is still difficult for Morisot and she works mostly in watercolour: her palette is restrained, the delicate repetition of hues creates a balanced effect, and the translucent atmosphere and feathery touch give her pictures their freshness.