plate no. 0455
Portrait of the Artist's Mother and Sister
Berthe Morisot, 1870
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses Berthe Morisot’s 1870 portrait, a work created during her transition from watercolor to oil painting. At this stage (1870–1874), Morisot found oil painting difficult and her color choices were restrained, yet she achieved a balanced effect through the delicate repetition of hues (Source 8). The artwork is characterized by the 'feminine charm' and lightness noted by critics, achieved through her signature light brushstrokes that 'effleurer' (touch lightly) the surface (Source 3). Unlike her later works on unprimed canvas, this 1870 piece likely adheres to more traditional oil preparation, as her shift to unprimed canvases occurred around 1880 (Source 3). The painting reflects her early Impressionist practice of seeking truths in observation, likely involving preliminary sketching to capture the model's features with rapid, confident strokes (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (limited palette) | Morisot used a somewhat limited palette but was regarded as a virtuoso colorist; she used white expansively for transparency (Source 3). | Titanium White, Lead White (historical), Earth tones (ochres, umbers) |
| Canvas | Support for oil painting. Note: Morisot did not switch to unprimed canvases until c. 1880, so a primed canvas is historically accurate for 1870 (Source 3). | Linen or cotton canvas, primed with gesso or oil ground |
| Linseed or Poppy Oil | Binder for pigments. Common drying oils used in the period (Source 4). | Cold-pressed linseed oil or poppy seed oil |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial layers and cleaning brushes (Source 4). | Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine |
| Charcoal or Graphite | For preliminary drawings. Morisot did much sketching as preparation before painting (Source 5). | Vine charcoal or graphite sticks |
| Watercolors (Optional/Contextual) | Morisot often worked in oil, watercolor, and pastel simultaneously; highly finished watercolors were sometimes used as preparatory studies (Source 5). | Professional grade watercolor set |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a standard primed canvas. While Morisot experimented with unprimed canvases around 1880 (Source 3), this 1870 work predates that technique. The surface should be smooth enough to allow for her 'light brush-strokes' and 'effleurer' technique, which requires a surface that accepts thin, transparent layers without excessive tooth that might break up the delicate touch (Source 3).
underdrawing
Create a detailed preliminary drawing. Morisot 'did much sketching as preparation' to become familiar with her subjects, allowing her to paint features like 'a mouth, eyes, and a nose with a single brushstroke' (Source 5). She made 'countless studies' drawn from life (Source 5). The drawing should be light and confident, serving as a guide for rapid execution rather than a rigid outline to be over-painted heavily.
underpainting
Apply a thin, restrained underlayer. During this period (1870-1874), Morisot’s color choice was 'rather restrained' (Source 8). Use a neutral tone or a thin wash of earth tones to establish values. Avoid heavy impasto at this stage, as her style relied on the 'translucent atmosphere' and 'feathery touch' (Source 8).
color palette
White
Lead White or Zinc White
Morisot made 'expansive use of white to create a sense of transparency,' using it as pure white or mixed with other colors to harmonize the painting (Source 3).
Earth Tones (Ochres/Umbers)
Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber
General use in this artist's palette. Ancient artists used ochres for 'broken tones' and they cover well and dry easily (Source 7). Morisot's palette was limited but balanced (Source 3).
Flesh Tones
White mixed with subtle reds/yellows
Flesh colors are 'fixed by the model' (Source 2). Morisot used 'barely tinted whites' to harmonize paintings, inspired by Manet (Source 3).
Complementary Accents
Subtle blues or greens
To utilize simultaneous contrast. Morisot was a 'virtuoso colorist' who understood how colors modify each other (Source 3, Source 1).
composition
The composition likely emphasizes the 'density of figures' balanced with 'atmospheric traits of light,' a trait Morisot shared with Renoir in her later work but began exploring earlier (Source 3). Specific details of the mother and sister's poses are not described in the sources, so the artist should rely on the preparatory sketches (Source 5) to capture the natural, unposed quality characteristic of Impressionist portraiture. The edges may be left somewhat unfinished to increase the sense of spontaneity, a technique Morisot employed (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the figures lightly using charcoal or graphite. Focus on capturing the essential forms and expressions quickly, as Morisot prepared extensively to paint features with single brushstrokes (Source 5).
Tip — Do not overwork the drawing; it is a guide for rapid painting.
Preparatory Sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin, restrained layer of paint to establish values. Use a limited palette to create a balanced effect, avoiding the 'dull and monotonic' nature of academic training (Source 8).
Tip — Keep the tone light to allow for the 'translucent atmosphere' (Source 8).
Restrained Underpainting
first pass
step 03
Paint the flesh tones using 'barely tinted whites' to harmonize the composition (Source 3). Apply paint with light, rapid strokes, 'effleurer' (touching lightly) the surface (Source 3).
Tip — Observe the 'modifications of the light on the model' promptly (Source 1).
Light Brushwork
refining
step 04
Refine the colors by considering simultaneous contrast. Ensure that adjacent colors modify each other correctly, as the eye perceives tints resulting from the peculiar color and the complementary of the other object (Source 1).
Tip — Check for 'mixed contrast' errors where previous colors influence current perception (Source 1).
Simultaneous Contrast
finishing
step 05
Leave outer edges unfinished to allow the canvas to show through, increasing the sense of spontaneity (Source 3). Ensure the 'feminine charm' and lightness are maintained through elegance and lack of heavy modeling (Source 3).
Tip — Avoid over-modeling; trust the 'single brushstroke' capability developed through sketching (Source 5).
Unfinished Edges
critical techniques
Effleurer (Light Brushing)
Morisot's light brushstrokes led critics to use this verb to describe her technique, creating elegance and lightness (Source 3).
Simultaneous Contrast
Understanding that colors appear different when juxtaposed, allowing the painter to perceive and imitate modifications of light and color accurately (Source 1).
Preparatory Sketching
Morisot did much sketching to become familiar with subjects, enabling her to paint features with single, confident brushstrokes (Source 5).
common pitfalls
- →Over-modeling or being 'too tied down to outline,' which Morisot avoided through rapid execution and preparatory studies (Source 6, Source 5).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception where the eye sees the result of the color and the complementary of the previously seen color (Source 1).
- →Using a heavy, opaque application that obscures the 'translucent atmosphere' and 'feathery touch' characteristic of her early work (Source 8).
- →Using an unprimed canvas, which is historically inaccurate for 1870; Morisot adopted this technique around 1880 (Source 3).
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 visual details of the mother and sister's clothing, facial expressions, and poses are not described in the provided sources.
- ·The exact dimensions of the canvas are not specified, though Morisot's works are 'almost always small in scale' (Source 3).
- ·The specific pigments used in the 1870 palette are not listed, only that it was 'restrained' and 'limited' (Source 3, Source 8).
- ·The exact lighting conditions of the original scene are not described.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color mixing and perception steps
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- On Copying — applied to General advice on avoiding over-modeling
The Science of Painting↗
- Colouring Substances — applied to Palette selection and earth tones
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Berthe Morisot↗
- Style and technique — applied to Brushwork, palette, and canvas preparation
- Impressionism, 1875–1885 / Watercolourist, 1870–1874 — applied to Preparatory methods and period-specific difficulties with oil
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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