Art is the Solution

Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets Source: Wikimedia Commons There are few artists of the modern age who are more famous than Édouard Manet; he was one of the best-known artists of the French impressionist movement, an artistic style that has captivated audiences for more than one hundred years. Although Manet knew most of the most prominent artists of the Impressionist movement, he had a special relationship with Impressionist Berthe Morisot, whom he met in 1868. The two quickly developed a friendship, and, when Morisot married Manet's brother six years later, they became family. The two artists influenced and inspired each other, which led to Manet painting Morisot several times throughout his career. One of these portraits of Morisot, entitled Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets , has become particularly famous, with some critics even labeling it his finest painting. This painting depicts Morisot in a black mourning dress and hat; she holds a bunch of violets that are...

The Balcony Source: Wikimedia Commons There are few Impressionist painters more famous than Édouard Manet. He produced many masterpieces throughout his career, and his work now hangs in many great museums. One of his most famous paintings is entitled The Balcony . The piece depicts several of Manet’s friends and family members gathered on a green balcony, including his future sister-in-law Berthe Morisot. In the background, a shadowy room is visible, and a young man—perhaps his stepson Léon Leenhoff—stands in the background. The piece is unique because it doesn’t fit into any contemporary genres, with critics of the time noting that the piece seemed strange and directionless. Yet, it is this aspect of the painting that makes it intriguing to art historians. The painting encapsulates a moment in time, a freeze frame of an ordinary day in ordinary lives. It recognizes the visual and symbolic power of these ordinary moments while also forcing the viewer to question their assumptions a...