The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 7, 2026

A vertically oriented drypoint print depicts two people seated on a cushioned surface. On our left, a woman sits upright holding a rectangular board. To her right, a smaller figure leans in to look at the board's surface. Both wear long-sleeved dresses rendered with delicate, sketchy lines. Dense hatching creates shadows in the background on our left, while the lower composition is loosely outlined against the neutral paper.

The Drawing Lesson (Berthe Morisot Drawing with Her Daughter)

1889

Berthe Morisot

(French, 1841–1895)
France, 19th century
drypoint
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1925.1036
Location: 004 Special Exhibition Gallery

Description

Encouraged by the Impressionist Mary Cassatt and the poet Stéphane Mallarmé, Morisot experimented with printmaking between 1887 and 1889. In this drypoint, a technique in which a sharp tool is used to scratch lines onto a copper plate, Morisot looks directly at the viewer—as if drawing our portrait—while 11-year-old Julie observes her mother at work.
  • Manet & Morisot. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (co-organizer) (March 29-July 5, 2026).
    Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 7, 1993-January 2, 1994).
    The Impressionist Aesthetic. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 10-October 31, 1982).
  • {{cite web|title=The Drawing Lesson (Berthe Morisot Drawing with Her Daughter)|url=false|author=Berthe Morisot|year=1889|access-date=07 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1925.1036