Another old friend from the Denver Art Museum is this lovely still-life by Berthe Morisot.

Born in 1841, Berthe Morisot wanted to become a professional artist, which countered the societal expectations of her upper middle-class family. If paint she must, she was expected to take up painting as a hobby and not as a professional career. Morisot persisted and not only became a well-known artist but also developed a radical style. She identified strongly with the aesthetic principles of the Impressionists, a group of young artists who, in the early 1870s, began to challenge the status quo of what constituted excellence in the art of painting. Impressionist paintings are characterized by an emphasis on the play of light, loose brushstrokes, and “modern” scenes of everyday events taking place in urban or country settings.

Morisot was a central member of the Impressionists and her home was a meeting place for intellectuals and artists. Morisot’s connection with these painters, particularly Edouard Manet, allowed for the exchange of artistic ideas, comparison, and criticism. She exhibited in seven of the eight Impressionist exhibitions and, even though she was not financially dependent on sales, her work fetched prices similar to (or higher than) many other well-known members of the group such as Monet and Renoir.

Morisot, who is perhaps more well-known for her landscapes and images of women, painted relatively few still lifes (Soup Tureen and Apple is one of only four from the 1870s).

The Impressionists liked to paint subjects from modern life, but during Morisot’s formative years throughout the 1860s, women couldn’t wander the streets alone or paint in cafes. Given this handicap, she compensated during her early career by selecting subjects close at hand for her as a woman, such as intimate domestic scenes or other still-life paintings. The objects in this painting probably came from her home. She chose to arrange them on a shiny table top, which offered the added dimension of reflections on the surface. The covered goblet allowed her to demonstrate her skill in representing a challenging subject like clear glass.

Like many other Impressionists, Morisot worked quickly and in a sketchy style suited to her aim, which was to “capture something transient.” Looking at Morisot’s pearly colors and light brushstrokes, many art critics assumed that her working process was as delicate as her finished paintings, even likening it to the scattering of flower petals. But Morisot herself described painting as being “engaged in a pitched battle,” and her mother claimed that when Morisot was working she had “an anxious, unhappy, almost fierce look.”

I’ve always admired this fine painting in Denver by the important Impressionist, Morisot. The icy shades with pale blues and light green make this work soothing for me to look at.