Berthe Morisot

A French female painter. Born into a distinguished family in Bourges, her great-grandfather was the great Rococo painter Fragonard. Born as the youngest of three sisters, she and her elder sister Edma began painting from an early age, and at the urging of her parents she studied under the painter Chocarne, before moving to Guichard. From 1861 to 1868 she studied under Corot, producing landscapes outdoors and fully absorbing his teachings, and made her debut in 1864 by exhibiting two landscapes at the Salon. Her elder sister gave up painting after getting married, but Berthe continued to paint, and she formed a particularly close relationship with Manet, often posing for his paintings. Her technique became even more free under Manet's guidance, and around 1872 and 1873 she began to express bold, yet delicate, works with brighter colors and sketch-like brushstrokes that did not get too caught up in details. She also began to pay more attention to capturing the changing effects of light and atmosphere, and unlike Manet, who was adamant about the Salon, she actively participated in group exhibitions by the Impressionists, who advocated for an anti-Salon movement. Morisot's Impressionism in turn influenced Manet. She found her subjects in everyday scenes, especially intimate scenes of women and children. She died in Paris.

[Tatsuji Omori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランスの女流画家。ブールジュの名門の出で、曽祖父(そうそふ)はロココの大画家フラゴナール。三人姉妹の末子として生まれ、姉エドマとともに幼時から絵を描き、両親の勧めで画家ショカルヌのもとで学び、その後ギシャールのもとに移った。1861年から68年にかけてコローの指導を受け、戸外で風景画を制作してその教えを十分に摂取し、64年のサロンに2点の風景画を出品してデビュー。姉は結婚とともに筆を絶ったが、ベルトは制作を続け、とりわけマネとは緊密な関係を結び、彼の絵のためにしばしばポーズをとった。彼女の手法はマネの導きによっていっそうの自由さを増し、72、73年ころにはより明るい色彩と細部に拘泥しないスケッチ風の筆触によって、繊細ななかにも大胆な表現を行うようになった。さらに光と大気の移ろいゆく効果をとらえることにも意を配るようになり、あくまでもサロンに固執するマネとは異なって、反サロンを標榜(ひょうぼう)する印象派のグループ展に積極的に参加。こうしたモリゾの印象主義は、逆にマネに影響を与えることにもなった。彼女は日常的情景、とりわけ女性や子供の親密な情景のなかに、自らの絵の題材をみいだした。パリで没。

［大森達次］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例