Portrait of a Woman
Formerly entitled 'Portrait of the Artist's Sister, Mme Edma Pontillon(?)'

Maker

(Artists)
1841-1895

Title

Portrait of a Woman
Formerly entitled 'Portrait of the Artist's Sister, Mme Edma Pontillon(?)'

Date of Production

1872 - 1875

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

Height: 56 cm (canvas)
Width: 46.1 cm (canvas)

Accession Number

P.1978.PG.279

Mode of Acquisition

Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

On display

Keywords








Label Text

This woman has just turned her head to look directly at the viewer. The portrait is characterised by unidealised sincerity, and implies that the painter knows the sitter very well. This has led to the identification of the woman with Morisot’s sister Edmé.
Berthe Morisot belonged to a wealthy family. She was close to Manet, and married his brother Eugène. An important member of the Impressionist circle, Morisot was the only woman represented in their first group exhibition in 1874.

Provenance

Princes Gate Bequest 1978

Exhibition History

Women Impressionists, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 27/06/2024-06/10/2024

An Intimate Vision, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, Spain, 12/11/2001-03/02/2002

The Courtauld Collection: Masterpieces of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 14/06/1998-21/09/1998 ...More

The Courtauld Collection, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, 26/12/1997-12/05/1998

The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists from the Courtauld Collection, Tokyo, 12/01/1984-28/02/1984; Kyoto, 03/03/1984-03/04/1984; Osaka, 12/04/1984-08/05/1984; Australia National Gallery, Canberra, 01/06/1984-06/08/1984 ...Less

Literature

The Courtauld Collection: Masterpieces of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Art Gallery of Ontario, 1998

The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists from the Courtauld Collection, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Canberra, 1984

Inscriptions

Inscription: inscription : signed : upper left & recto : : B. Morisot

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