James Haddrell reviews the Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery

Whenever a new Impressionist exhibition comes to town, anticipation is huge.

When the Royal Academy hosted its Monet exhibition in 1999, it had to extend opening hours to welcome people almost round the clock to satisfy demand.

More than 8,500 people attended the exhibition after 11pm on the final Saturday night, and the daily average attendance figure of 8,552 was the highest ever reached by an exhibition in the UK.

It is with some excitement then that the Dulwich Picture Gallery opens its new exhibition, but this is not a Monet, a Renoir or a Degas exhibit.

Rather, the gallery has brought together 40 of the most important works by Berthe Morisot.

A founding member of the Impressionist group, Morisot was known for her swiftly painted glimpses of contemporary life and intimate domestic scenes.

She featured prominently in the Impressionist exhibitions, and though today her name may not carry the weight of her male contemporaries, she defied social norms to become one of the movement’s most influential figures.

Now, in a bold new retelling of Morisot’s story, the Dulwich Picture Gallery will draw on new research and previously unpublished archival material to trace the roots of her inspiration, revealing the ways in which Morisot engaged with 18th century art and culture.

Her work, more than that of her contemporaries, seems to track and explore the movement in a unique way.

Among the exhibits you certainly can’t fail to see a connection with Manet (on works like Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight).

Then there are moments where the glimpse into a woman’s private space recall the work of Degas (see works like Woman at her Toilette).

Then in the slightly later Julie Manet with her Greyhound Laerte, you can see the rough, undulating shapes of van Gogh and feel the arrival of the
Post-Impressionists.

Jennifer Scott, director of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, said: “Morisot was an innovator and a leader of the Impressionist movement.

“We are excited to be working in partnership with Musée Marmottan Monet to bring a remarkable body of Morisot’s work to UK audiences, and to present ground-breaking comparisons to reveal the inspiration behind Impressionism itself.”

Unusually among the Impressionists, Morisot also expressed a passionate enthusiasm for English painters like Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds and George Romney, whose work she had seen first-hand.

Dr Lois Oliver, co-curator of the exhibition and curator at the Royal Academy, said: “Morisot was one of the greatest of the Impressionist artists, and yet her work has rarely been shown in the UK.

It is an absolute pleasure to be bringing Morisot’s art to Dulwich, where for the first time it will be juxtaposed with the 18th century art that inspired her, including works by the English painters who made such an impression on Morisot during her honeymoon in England.”

Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism is at Dulwich Picture Gallery until September 10, 2023.

Website: https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2023/april/berthe-morisot/

 

 

Pictures: Berthe Morisot, Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight 1885; inset, Berthe Morisot, Woman at her Toilette, 1875-80 Pictures: Musée
Marmottan Monet, Paris/courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago, Stickney Fund