plate no. 0574
In the Dining Room
Berthe Morisot, 1875
recreation guide
Berthe Morisot’s *In the Dining Room* (1875/1886) is a quintessential Impressionist genre painting that captures a domestic interior with a sense of immediacy and movement. The work is characterized by its 'wild, streaky working method,' which critics noted as emphatic and sometimes 'unfinished,' yet it conveys a distinct calm through its domestic subject matter (Source 3). Morisot’s technique in this period involves a limited but virtuosic color palette, relying heavily on white to create transparency and harmony, often mixing it with other colors rather than using pure white alone (Source 2). The painting features a young woman in a black skirt and grey-blue jacket, positioned centrally, with a cluttered display cabinet to the left and a table with fruit to the right, set against a background of blue, pink, purple, and brown tones (Source 3).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
4 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the painting. | — |
| Canvas | Support for the painting. Morisot experimented with unprimed canvases around 1880, but for this earlier/mid-period work, a standard primed canvas is likely, though the 'unfinished' edges suggest a loose handling of the ground. | Linen or cotton canvas with oil or acrylic gesso. |
| White pigment (Lead White or Titanium White) | Morisot made 'expansive use of white' to create transparency and harmonize the painting, often using 'barely tinted whites' (Source 2). | Titanium White (for opacity) or Zinc White (for transparency). |
| Watercolors and Pastels | Morisot often worked in oil, watercolor, and pastel simultaneously, using them to refine edges or add atmospheric effects (Source 2). | Standard watercolor set and soft pastels. |
| Drawing media | For preliminary sketches. Morisot worked mostly from preliminary drawings before beginning oil paintings in her later career, and drawing was a core part of her training (Source 2, Source 4). | Graphite, charcoal, or conte crayon. |
preparation
surface prep
While Morisot began painting on unprimed canvases around 1880 (Source 2), *In the Dining Room* dates to 1875 (or 1886 per Source 3, which conflicts with the 1875 date in the prompt; assuming the prompt's 1875 date, she was likely using primed canvas). The preparation should allow for a loose, spontaneous application. If aiming for the 'unfinished' look noted by critics, leaving some areas of the ground visible or lightly toned may be appropriate, though specific ground color is not detailed in sources. The surface should be prepared to accept rapid, streaky brushwork without excessive absorption.
underdrawing
Morisot’s preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed for this specific painting, but she 'worked mostly from preliminary drawings before beginning her oil paintings' in her later career (Source 2). Given her training in drawing under Chocarne and Guichard (Source 4), a light, loose underdrawing in charcoal or graphite is recommended to establish the central figure and key compositional elements like the cabinet and table, without rigidly defining outlines, as she tended to depart from strict outlines (Source 1 implies avoiding being 'tied down to your outline').
underpainting
There is no specific evidence that Morisot used a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) for this work. Source 6 discusses grisaille as a general technique but does not attribute it to Morisot. Therefore, an underpainting phase is likely omitted or integrated into the first pass of color application, consistent with Impressionist direct painting methods.
color palette
White
Pure white or mixed with other colors
Creating transparency, harmonizing the painting, and depicting the apron and window light. Morisot used 'barely tinted whites' to harmonize paintings (Source 2).
Black
Black pigment
The young woman’s ankle-length skirt (Source 3).
Grey-Blue
Blue mixed with white and possibly black or grey
The young woman’s short jacket (Source 3).
Blue, Pink, Purple, Brown
Various pigments mixed to create these tones
The background wall, creating a multi-colored, blurred effect (Source 3).
Transparent White-Green, Yellow, Gray
White mixed with green, yellow, and gray pigments
The window on the right, depicting light and transparency (Source 3).
Bright Red
Red pigment
The roofs of houses visible through the window (Source 3).
composition
The composition is centered on a young woman, with a cluttered display cabinet on the left and a table with fruit on the right, creating a balanced domestic scene (Source 3). The background wall is rendered in multiple colors (blue, pink, purple, brown) to create depth and atmosphere, while the window on the right provides a source of light and a view of the outside world (Source 3). Morisot characteristically used color to create space and depth, and her works are often small in scale (Source 2). The 'streaky effect' gives the work an appearance of movement and unrest, yet the domestic theme brings calm (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Create a preliminary drawing of the composition, focusing on the central figure, the cabinet, and the table. Use light, loose lines to avoid being 'tied down to your outline' (Source 1).
Tip — Keep the drawing flexible to allow for spontaneous brushwork.
Preliminary drawing
first pass
step 02
Apply broad masses of color to establish the main forms and light sources. Use white expansively to create transparency and harmony, mixing it with other colors as needed (Source 2).
Tip — Focus on the overall impression rather than details.
Direct painting
refining
step 03
Add details using hasty, streaky brushstrokes in all directions to create a semblance of blur and movement (Source 3). Use barely tinted whites to harmonize the painting (Source 2).
Tip — Avoid over-modeling; keep the brushwork loose and spontaneous.
Streaky brushwork
finishing
step 04
Leave the outer edges unfinished, allowing the canvas to show through, to increase the sense of spontaneity (Source 2). Use watercolors or pastels to refine edges or add atmospheric effects if desired (Source 2).
Tip — Ensure the 'wild, streaky' method does not overwhelm the calm domestic theme.
Unfinished edges
critical techniques
Streaky Brushwork
Morisot used 'wild, streaky working method' with hasty brushstrokes in all directions to create movement and blur (Source 3).
Use of White
Expansive use of white, often mixed with other colors, to create transparency and harmony (Source 2).
Unfinished Edges
Leaving outer edges unfinished to show the canvas, enhancing spontaneity (Source 2).
Mixed Media
Simultaneous use of oil, watercolor, and pastel to refine the painting (Source 2).
common pitfalls
- →Over-modeling or being too tied down to outlines, which contradicts Morisot’s loose, spontaneous style (Source 1).
- →Using too much detail, which would detract from the 'semblance of blur' and movement characteristic of this work (Source 3).
- →Ignoring the harmonizing role of white, which is crucial to Morisot’s color strategy (Source 2).
- →Failing to leave edges unfinished, which would reduce the sense of spontaneity (Source 2).
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 for the colors used in *In the Dining Room* are not provided in the sources.
- ·The exact date of the painting is conflicting between the prompt (1875) and Source 3 (1886), which may affect the interpretation of her technique (e.g., use of unprimed canvas).
- ·Detailed information on the underpainting technique for this specific work is lacking.
- ·The specific models used for the young woman and the dog are not identified.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting — ON COPYING↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding being tied down to outlines and over-modeling.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Berthe Morisot — part 5↗
- Style and technique — applied to Use of white, streaky brushwork, unfinished edges, mixed media.
Wikipedia: In the Dining Room — In the Dining Room — part 1↗
- Description — applied to Visual details of the painting, including the woman’s clothing, the cabinet, the table, the background colors, and the window.
Wikipedia bio — Berthe Morisot — part 3↗
- Training, 1857–1870 — applied to Morisot’s drawing training and early techniques.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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