The Drawing Lesson (Berthe Morisot and her Daughter)

Berthe Morisot French
Sitter Julie Manet French

Not on view

Morisot made only eight drypoints, among which this self-portrait is the most accomplished. She shows herself in the act of drawing her reflection while her daughter, Julie Manet, looks on over her shoulder. Over the course of her career, Morisot depicted Julie more than any other subject. Here, she reconciles her dual roles as mother and artist in one image. Her prints were never published in her lifetime. For the posthumous edition, Julie titled this work "The Drawing Lesson."

The Drawing Lesson (Berthe Morisot and her Daughter), Berthe Morisot (French, Bourges 1841–1895 Paris), Drypoint on wove paper

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.