Sewing near the Window

about 1885

Berthe Morisot

(French, 1841–1895)

Culture

France

Medium

watercolor and graphite on paper

Measurements

Sheet: 28.6 x 22.9 cm (11 1/4 x 9 in.)

Credit Line

Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund 2025.209

Catalogue raisonné

Bataille and Wildenstein 729

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Location

004 Special Exhibition Gallery

Did You Know?

Edgar Degas admired Berthe Morisot’s watercolors, and seeing an example inspired him to invite her to participate in the Impressionists’ first group exhibition.

Description

This watercolor depicts Euphrasie, or Pasie, the nanny for Berthe Morisot’s young daughter Julie. Pasie appears in the artist’s apartment, sewing before a window during a contemplative moment. As with many of Morisot’s works in the medium, she used this example to develop the composition of a future painting into which she added Julie and more tightly cropped the scene. Watercolor was a constant interest for Morisot, and she practiced it from around 1870 throughout the rest of her career, creating both finished and preparatory works.