Reading by Berthe Morisot

In Reading, an 1873 painting by Berthe Morisot, Morisot tackles a subject previously explored by Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir: a contemporary woman in a park, enjoying a leisure activity. Featured here is Morisot's sister Edma. Edma wears a light, gauzy summer gown of the latest cut. A straw hat with a trailing scarf perched on the top of her head, an open fan, and a parasol complete her ensemble. Critics praised Berthe Morisot's Reading as graceful, confident, and even witty.

Reading by Berthe Morisot (oil on fabric, 18-1/8x 28-1/4 inches) is housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

As one of the only female Impressionists, Berthe Morisot explored the daily lives of contemporary women. On the next page, we'll find an example of this.

For more on Impressionist paintings, artists, and art history, see:

• Impressionism
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet