05/29/2026
Berthe Morisot Rose Bouquet Still Life 🌹 (Painting & Drawing classes, ages 7-12) • Students learned about French painter, Berthe Morisot (1869-1954) and captured a bouquet of roses as a still life “painting” using oil pastels in many layers and overlaping colors. Students observed the many brushstrokes and colors of “Impressionism” style, and imitated that in the swirls and layers of their flower petals. They enjoyed creating the blurry effect in the vase, using light colored pastels like white and gray over the top of green stems. We discussed how impressionism is a very accepting art style, free from “perfection” and open to artist’s feelings and interpretation of a scene/subject. Just like the original French Impressionists, our students enjoyed the freedom to experiment and blend colors in their flower studies.
🌹 About The Artist:
Berthe Morisot was a member of a prestigious circle of artists in Paris known as the first “Impressionists” - and she was also the first woman to display her artwork professionally, alongside the other male painters. Morisot was encouraged & well-supported by her family and husband to work as an artist, and she painted under her maiden name. Morisot sought equality with her male counterparts, she did not always receive it; usually judged from the get-go as a “feminine painter.” She is known for her painting style of light brushstrokes, and created a beautiful & extensive range of pieces throughout her career, based on what she experienced everyday: “open air” scenes, still life subjects, and portraits of family members. Morisot was close friends with her husband Eugene Manet’s brother, Edouard Manet, another famous member of the Impressionists.
🌹 Impressionism: a style of painting developed in France during the mid-to-late 19th century; characterizations of the style include small, visible brushstrokes that offer the bare impression of form, unblended color and an emphasis on the accurate depiction of natural light. Small brush strokes, blended colors, light and shadows, looser forms.
