Artwork

Sewing near the Window

Sewing near the Window, by Berthe Morisot, 1885
Sewing near the Window, by Berthe Morisot, 1885

Sewing near the Window is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This watercolor depicts Euphrasie, or Pasie, the nanny for Berthe Morisot’s young daughter Julie.

This watercolor depicts Euphrasie, or Pasie, the nanny for Berthe Morisot’s young daughter Julie. Pasie appears in the artist’s apartment, sewing before a window during a contemplative moment. As with many of Morisot’s works in the medium, she used this example to develop the composition of a future painting into which she added Julie and more tightly cropped the scene. Watercolor was a constant interest for Morisot, and she practiced it from around 1870 throughout the rest of her career, creating both finished and preparatory works.

Did you know?

Edgar Degas admired Berthe Morisot’s watercolors, and seeing an example inspired him to invite her to participate in the Impressionists’ first group exhibition.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Berthe Morisot

Artist

Berthe Morisot

Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot (French: ; 14 January 1841 – 2 March 1895) was a French painter, printmaker and a member of the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.