LONDON.- In Spring 2023, Dulwich Picture Gallery presents Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism, the first major UK exhibition of the renowned Impressionist since 1950. In partnership with the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, it will bring together over 30 of Morisot’s most important works from international collections, many never seen before in the UK, to reveal the artist as a trailblazer of the movement as well as uncovering a previously untold connection between her work and 18th century culture, with around 15 works for comparison.

A founding member of the Impressionist group, Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) was known for her swiftly painted glimpses of contemporary life and intimate domestic scenes. She featured prominently in the Impressionist exhibitions and defied social norms to become one of the movement’s most influential figures. Now, in a bold new retelling of Morisot’s story, Dulwich Picture Gallery draws on new research and previously unpublished archival material from the Musée Marmottan Monet to trace the roots of her inspiration, revealing the ways in which Morisot engaged with 18th century art and culture, while also highlighting the originality of her artistic vision, which ultimately set her apart from her predecessors.

Highlights include Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight (1875), painted while Morisot was on honeymoon in England, and her striking Self-Portrait (1885), which appears alongside Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s Young Woman (c.1769) from Dulwich Picture Gallery’s collection. Apollo revealing his divinity to the shepherdess Issé, after François Boucher (1892), In the Apple Tree (1890) and Julie Manet with her Greyhound Laerte (1893), are among nine paintings on loan from the Musée Marmottan Monet, many receiving their first ever showing in the UK.

Central to the exhibition is the story of the “rediscovery” of 18th century art in France and its impact on Impressionism with an accompanying body of work by artists including François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Antoine Watteau. After falling out of favour following the French Revolution, the art of the ancien regime was enthusiastically acquired by 19th century collectors and reintroduced to the public through exhibitions and new rooms devoted to its artists at the Musée du Louvre. Morisot copied works by Boucher; she experimented with red chalk, a technique closely associated with Rococo drawing; and declared her admiration for Jean-Baptiste Perronneau and Georges de La Tour. Uniquely amongst her compatriots, Morisot also expressed a passionate enthusiasm for English painters Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds and George Romney.

The exhibition demonstrates the numerous ways in which Morisot engaged with 18th century themes, drawing on her depictions of everyday life, fashion, interiors and intimate scenes. Works such as At the Ball (1875) reflect the elegance of the fête galante tradition and 18th century portraiture. Hung alongside Watteau’s Les Plaisirs du Bal (c.1715-17) from Dulwich Picture Gallery, a clear comparison can be drawn between the elegantly dressed and costumed figures and Morisot’s glamorous sitter with her 18th century fan.

Morisot was known for painting glimpses into women’s private spaces along with an ability to capture feeling and emotion. Works including The Psyche Mirror (1876) and Woman at her Toilette (1875/80) form a point of comparison and contrast with 18th century examples by artists such as Boucher and Fragonard, reflecting the different priorities and perspectives of a woman Impressionist working in a modern 19th century exhibition context, compared with male Rococo painters working for private collectors.

The exhibition has been co-curated by Dr Lois Oliver (Curator at the Royal Academy, Associate Adjunct Professor in History of Art at the University of Notre Dame (USA) in London and a Visiting Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art.), Dr Marianne Mathieu (Scientific Director of the exhibition) and Dr Dominique d’Arnoult (independent curator and Professor of Art History at the University of Lausanne). The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated scholarly catalogue published in both English and French. Edited under the Scientific Direction of Dr Marianne Mathieu, this publication will present ground-breaking archival research and fresh perspectives.

Jennifer Scott, Director of 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.”

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 in 1875.”

Dr Marianne Mathieu, co-curator and Scientific Director of the exhibition, is a specialist of Berthe Morisot who has made recent research discoveries around Morisot and her circle. She said: “Musée Marmottan Monet is the world’s leading research centre for the work of Berthe Morisot. Dulwich Picture Gallery holds a celebrated collection of 18th century painting. Through this special collaboration we shine new light on Impressionism, Berthe Morisot, and the enduring influence of the 18th century.”