Berthe Morisot (January 14, 1841 – March 2, 1895) was a painter
and a member of the circle of Impressionists. Born in Bourges,
France, Berthe Morisot was the third daughter of a prominent and
wealthy government official. The family moved to Paris in 1852,
where her father served as the Judicial Adviser to the Auditor's
Office. This powerful position, with its high salary and
important political associations, allowed the Morisots to lead a
privileged lifestyle as members of the upper middle class.
Raised accordingly, Morisot and her sisters were provided tutors
for languages and literature and, in 1857, art lessons. Morisot
and her older sister Edma quickly developed both a passion and a
high level of skill in drawing and painting. Alongside her
sister, Morisot copied masterpieces at the Louvre and painted
out of doors under the direction of well-known landscape painter
Camille Corot. She first exhibited her paintings at the
prestigious annual Salon in 1864, and her work was shown there
regularly through 1873.