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Young Woman Reclining by Berthe Morisot

Young Woman Reclining

Berthe Morisot · 1889

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“Stop and observe the delicate lines of this drypoint print, capturing a quiet, intimate moment of a young woman absorbed in a book. It offers a glimpse into the private world of a late 19th-century domestic scene.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this intimate drypoint print from 1889, a young woman reclines with a book, her pose suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation. The soft, feathery lines, characteristic of drypoint, create a delicate play of light and shadow across her form and the rumpled fabric around her. Her gaze is directed downward, absorbed in her reading, inviting us into a private, unposed scene. The composition feels spontaneous, capturing the fleeting impression of an everyday domestic moment. This print exemplifies the Impressionist interest in contemporary life and the subtle emotional states of its subjects, rendered with a light touch that conveys both immediacy and a sense of gentle introspection.

DETAILS
Artist
Berthe Morisot
Date
1889
Medium
Drypoint on wove paper
Location
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions
plate: 10 13/16 x 13 3/4 in. (27.5 x 35 cm)
Collection
Drawings and Prints
Credit line
Purchase, Rogers Fund and Jacob H. Schiff Bequest, 1922
ART MOVEMENTS
Impressionism
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What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

Young Woman Reclining

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01

The resting face

Find the small face resting near the hand. Its calm, drowsy look is the quiet center of the sheet.

1 of 4 on the painting
02

Hand supporting the head

The hand presses into the hair, and the bent arm makes a sharp angle below it. It props the head up and gives the pose its tired, dreamy ease.

2 of 4 on the painting
03

Quick scratchy lines

Look at the long strokes of hair and dress. They are thin, quick and slightly fuzzy, the soft burr typical of drypoint, where the line is scratched straight into the plate.

3 of 4 on the painting
04

Armchair at left

On the left, the patterned chair arm is drawn with denser, firmer lines than much of the figure. It anchors that side of the scene and frames the reclining woman.

4 of 4 on the painting
05Whole painting

Small image, huge margin

The little plate floats in a wide expanse of blank paper. The margin makes the sketch feel intimate and precious, like a private moment.

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THE ARTIST

Berthe Morisot

1841–1895 · France

Berthe Morisot, a pioneering Impressionist, captured intimate domestic scenes and landscapes, often featuring women and children, with a luminous touch.

Read Morisot’s full story
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Further Works by Morisot

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The Pink Dress (Albertie-Marguerite Carré, later Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes, 1854–1935) The Pink Dress (Albertie-Marguerite Carré, later Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes, 1854–1935) 1870 · Metropolitan Museum of Art Woman at Her Toilette Woman at Her Toilette 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago Woman in a Garden Woman in a Garden 1882 · Art Institute of Chicago Young Woman Knitting Young Woman Knitting 1883 · Metropolitan Museum of Art Forêt de Compiègne Forêt de Compiègne 1885 · Art Institute of Chicago Young Girl with Hat Young Girl with Hat 1891 · Art Institute of Chicago Landscape (Tree-trunks near a River) Landscape (Tree-trunks near a River) 1888 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Duck and Reeds Duck and Reeds 1889 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Impressionism

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Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys Degas · 1860 · Art Institute of Chicago Alfred Sisley Alfred Sisley Renoir · 1864 · Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection Beggar with Oysters (Philosopher) Beggar with Oysters (Philosopher) Manet · 1864 · Art Institute of Chicago The Banks of the Marne in Winter The Banks of the Marne in Winter Pissarro · 1866 · Art Institute of Chicago
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Morisot and Impressionism: works from the same years.

A Woman Walking in a Garden Same era · 1870s–1900s A Woman Walking in a Garden Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Same era · 1870s–1900s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago Madame Léon Clapisson Same era · 1870s–1900s Madame Léon Clapisson Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago Still Life with Crayfish Same era · 1870s–1900s Still Life with Crayfish Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig Paris Street; Rainy Day Same era · 1870s–1900s Paris Street; Rainy Day Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago Moulin de la Galette Same era · 1870s–1900s Moulin de la Galette Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1889 · Art Institute of Chicago The Flageolet Player on the Cliff Same era · 1870s–1900s The Flageolet Player on the Cliff Paul Gauguin · 1889 · Q1117704 Rocks at Fontainebleau Same era · 1870s–1900s Rocks at Fontainebleau Paul Cézanne · 1890 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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