plate no. 8513
After Luncheon
Berthe Morisot, 1881
recreation guide
Berthe Morisot’s *After Luncheon* (1881) is a quintessential example of her mature Impressionist style, characterized by a rapid, spontaneous application of paint and a focus on domestic intimacy. Morisot’s technique during this period involved working quickly to capture fleeting sensory perceptions, often executing features like a mouth, eyes, or nose with a single brushstroke (Source 4). Her approach was not merely observational but deeply crafted; she believed a painter must first be a sound craftsman who understands the medium’s capacities to avoid being 'dumb' in expression (Source 1). The work likely reflects her practice of making countless studies from life to become familiar with her subjects, allowing for this confident execution (Source 4).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the painting | — |
| Canvas | Support surface | Linen or cotton canvas, potentially unprimed or lightly primed |
| Watercolors and Pastels | Morisot frequently worked in oil, watercolor, and pastel simultaneously; these may have been used for preparatory studies or mixed media effects | — |
| Brushes | Application of paint | Various sizes, likely including flat and filbert brushes for broad masses and single-stroke details |
| White pigment | Morisot made expansive use of white to create transparency and harmony, often mixed with other colors or used as barely tinted whites | Titanium White or Zinc White |
preparation
surface prep
Around 1880, Morisot began painting on unprimed canvases, a technique she experimented with alongside Manet and Eva Gonzalès (Source 5). For this recreation, the canvas should likely be left unprimed or very lightly sized to allow the paint to sink in slightly, contributing to the loose, spontaneous feel of the brushwork. The outer edges of the canvas may be left unfinished, allowing the raw canvas to show through, which increases the sense of spontaneity characteristic of her work (Source 5).
underdrawing
Morisot did much sketching as preparation for her oil paintings, making countless studies of her subjects drawn from life (Source 4). While specific underdrawing methods for *After Luncheon* are not detailed, her general practice involved thorough preparatory sketches. In the recreation, one should likely begin with a loose sketch in charcoal or thin oil to establish the general form and likeness, rather than a rigid outline, as Morisot was known to be 'too much tied down to your outline' only if one was timid, which she was not (Source 1 implies avoiding over-modeling and tight outlines).
underpainting
There is no specific source detailing an underpainting layer for this specific work. However, Morisot’s technique involved painting quickly and directly. It is likely that she applied paint directly onto the prepared surface, possibly using thin washes of oil or watercolor to establish tones, given her simultaneous use of multiple media (Source 4, Source 5).
color palette
White
Pure white or barely tinted whites
Creating a sense of transparency and harmonizing the painting; Morisot made expansive use of white (Source 5).
Complementary pairs
e.g., Red and Green, Blue and Orange
Enhancing color intensity and harmony. Morisot was regarded as a 'virtuoso colourist' who used color to create space and depth (Source 5). Placing complementary colors next to each other can increase their brilliancy (Source 2).
Limited Palette
Morisot’s palette was somewhat limited but used effectively
General use in this artist's palette; she kept the use of color to a minimum when constructing a motif, inspired by Manet (Source 5).
composition
Morisot created a sense of space and depth through the use of color rather than strict linear perspective (Source 5). Her compositions often balanced the density of figures with the atmospheric traits of light, sharing an interest with Renoir in this regard (Source 5). The painting likely features a domestic interior scene, consistent with her focus on intimate, everyday moments. Specific compositional details of *After Luncheon* are not described in the sources, so the recreation should focus on capturing the atmospheric light and the relationship between the figures and their environment through color and brushwork.
step by step
underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the general forms and likeness of the subjects using charcoal or thin oil. Focus on capturing the pose and expression without getting tied down to rigid outlines.
Tip — Morisot made countless studies from life to become familiar with her subjects, allowing for confident execution (Source 4).
Preparatory sketching
first pass
step 02
Apply paint quickly, using broad masses to establish the main areas of light and shadow. Avoid over-modeling at this stage.
Tip — If you are able to deal with broad masses but fail in finish, copying works like Van Eyck’s can help, but for Impressionism, the initial broad strokes are key (Source 1).
Broad masses
refining
step 03
Refine the features, such as the mouth, eyes, and nose, using single brushstrokes. Morisot could paint these features with a single stroke due to her familiarity with the subject (Source 4).
Tip — Paint very quickly to capture the fleeting sensory perception. Do not over-work the paint.
Single brushstroke details
step 04
Use complementary colors to enhance the intensity of specific areas. For example, place blue tones next to orange drapery to make it appear more orange (Source 2).
Tip — Morisot was a virtuoso colorist who used color to create space and depth (Source 5).
Complementary color juxtaposition
finishing
step 05
Leave the outer edges of the painting unfinished, allowing the canvas to show through. This increases the sense of spontaneity (Source 5).
Tip — Do not feel the need to paint every inch of the canvas. The raw canvas can contribute to the Impressionist effect.
Unfinished edges
step 06
Review the painting for balance between the density of figures and the atmospheric traits of light, similar to Renoir’s influence on Morisot (Source 5).
Tip — Ensure the light feels natural and the figures are integrated into the space through color.
Atmospheric balance
critical techniques
Rapid Brushwork
Morisot painted very quickly, often executing features with a single brushstroke. This required extensive preparatory sketching and familiarity with the subject (Source 4).
Use of White
Morisot made expansive use of white, either pure or mixed with other colors, to create transparency and harmony. She used barely tinted whites to harmonize paintings (Source 5).
Complementary Color Juxtaposition
Placing complementary colors next to each other can increase their brilliancy. For example, red beside green will seem redder (Source 2). Morisot was a virtuoso colorist who used color to create space and depth (Source 5).
Unprimed Canvas
Around 1880, Morisot began painting on unprimed canvases, which likely contributed to the loose, spontaneous feel of her brushwork (Source 5).
common pitfalls
- →Over-modeling: Morisot’s technique was about capturing fleeting perceptions, not detailed realism. Avoid spending too much time refining details, which can lead to a 'smallness' or timidity (Source 1).
- →Tight Outlines: Being too tied down to outlines can hinder the spontaneous feel of Impressionist painting. Morisot’s brushwork was loose and rapid (Source 1, Source 4).
- →Ignoring Color Harmony: Failing to use complementary colors to enhance intensity and create depth can result in a flat appearance. Morisot was a virtuoso colorist (Source 5).
- →Over-priming the Canvas: Using a heavily primed canvas may not capture the texture and spontaneity Morisot achieved with unprimed surfaces (Source 5).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific pigment recipes used by Morisot for *After Luncheon* are not provided in the sources.
- ·The exact sequence of layers (e.g., whether she used an underpainting) for this specific painting is not detailed.
- ·The specific lighting conditions and time of day depicted in *After Luncheon* are not described in the sources.
- ·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original painting are not provided.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Berthe Morisot↗
- Biography and Technique — applied to Overview, Skill Level, Materials List, Step-by-Step Process, Critical Techniques
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Techniques and Materials — applied to Underdrawing, Common Pitfalls
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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