Influence of Manet.

In 1868, I was introduced to artist Edouard Manet and soon became his pupil. Under his teachings I moved away from traditional art to an art form that would later be known as Impressionism. Manet and I complemented one another, expressing mutual admiration as well as influencing each other's style. I frequently appeared in Manet's work. His most famous portrait of me is Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets. Among others are The Balcony and Repose.

The Balcony

I was influential in arousing Monet's interest in outdoor painting. I encouraged him to abandon the use of black and experiment with the Impressionist "rainbow" palette instead, even though Morisot did not emphasize color as much as most of her Impressionist colleagues. Her paintings continued to show the influence of Manet even after they stopped working closely together.

From the moment she met and began studying with Manet, she followed the Impressionistic style. Her subjects, however, differed from those of her colleagues. She shunned the brothel scenes that were popular with Degas and avoided locations where respectable women would not be found alone, such as train stations. Renowned artists such as Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir accepted her as an equal.  Manet's influence upon me showed as a considerable clarification of my palette, in my use of surface perspective, and in my choice of subjects. I, in turn stimulated his interest in painting in the open air. By 1877 I had developed a distinctively personal manner with a large free brushstroke applied upon silvery-toned canvases lit with a filmy glow and harmonious in color.