The Cradle by Berthe Morisot

Berthe Morisot's sister Edma modeled as the mother for her 1873 Impressionist painting The Cradle. The infant is Edma's own newborn Blanche. In works such as The Cradle, Morisot focused upon the day-to-day experiences of the lives of contemporary women. In presenting a mother watching her child sleep in a cradle, Berthe Morisot expresses the genuine absorption of a mother's attentions to her child's well-being without introducing an anecdote or an exaggerated sentimentality.

Berthe Morisot's The Cradle (oil on canvas, 22x18 inches) is housed in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Berthe Morisot continued to be interested in capturing the essence of the modern woman. Keep reading to learn about other Impressionist paintings in which she pursued this aim.

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

• Impressionism
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet