Berthe Morisot

     Morisot’s marriage to Eugène Manet when she was 33 was preceded by Morisot’s working and close friendship with his brother Édouard Manet. Scholars and individuals speculate about the relationship that Édouard and Berthe had working closely over the years before her relationship with Eugène, because of the societal expectations and rules of women in the studio; that a woman was not to be alone with a man (4).

     Additionally, Édouard painted 11 portraits of Berthe (before her marriage), which was more than he ever painted of his wife, Suzanne (5). Ongoing disputes also delve into Berthe’s potential interest in her romantic interest in Édouard, regarding the remarks of her letter to her sister Edma.
​
     Through a mutual acquaintance in 1867, Henri Fantin-Latour introduced the two started their artistic journey through their friendship. Nevertheless, these remarks are mere speculative into the nature of plutonic or romantic relations they held. Nevertheless, when gazing at the transformation of Manet’s later works, there is now the association of Berthe’s characteristics of color palette and strokes. Likewise, an ongoing matter is the influence of Édouard on Berthe’s work and vice versa, hers on his (6). 

     Morisot’s marriage led to the birth of her daughter Julie Manet, a common subject within her work. Though through letters to Edma, Morisot longed to be a mother, there was a tinge of disappointment of Julie being born a girl (7) . This may have been due to the societal expectations and, furthermore, the discrimination that Morisot had faced. Nevertheless, Julie became central to Morisot's life with her frequent depictions through her adolence. Julie Manet went on to live a life with her husband, Ernest Rouart. She painted, but ultimately did not exhibit after the birth of her sons, like her mother. However, the pair collected Morisot’s life's work to have on display (8).​