Artwork
Young Girl with Hat
Young Girl with Hat is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot. It dates from 1892 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. An oil on canvas portrait depicts a young, light‑skinned girl seated with her gaze lowered.
About this work
Overview
An oil on canvas portrait depicts a young, light‑skinned girl seated with her gaze lowered. She wears a translucent white dress, a hat, and holds a basket in her lap, creating a composed, intimate scene.
Subject & Meaning
The figure’s downcast eyes and gentle posture suggest quiet introspection. The simplicity of her attire and the domestic object she cradles convey a modest, everyday moment rather than a formal display of status.
Technique & Style
The artist employs delicate brushwork to render the sheer quality of the dress, achieving a soft, luminous surface. Subtle layering of translucent pigments—characteristic of glazing—enhances the calm atmosphere and depth of the fabric.
Context
Works of this type belong to a tradition of 19th‑century portraiture that favored intimate, domestic subjects rendered with refined, almost tactile surface treatments, emphasizing mood over narrative detail.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
