Edma Morizot Paintings

Edma Morisot, born Edma Morizot on December 1839 in Bourges, France, was a French painter known primarily for her early association with the Impressionist movement. She was the older sister of Berthe Morisot, who would go on to become one of the leading figures in Impressionist painting. Despite her considerable talent, Edma's artistic career was short-lived, largely due to the social constraints and expectations placed upon women during the 19th century.

Edma exhibited talent in art at a young age and, like her sister Berthe, received lessons from Joseph-Benoît Guichard, who also advised their parents to let the sisters continue their education in painting. The Morisot sisters went on to study under Camille Corot, a pivotal figure in landscape painting who would later be recognized as a precursor to the Impressionist movement. Under Corot's guidance, Edma developed a keen appreciation for plein air painting, which would influence her later works.

In the 1860s, Edma Morisot began exhibiting her work at the esteemed Salon de Paris, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Her submissions received positive attention, which was a significant achievement, given the Salon's conservative tastes and the challenges faced by female artists at the time. However, her artistic career was cut short when she married Adolphe Pontillon, a naval officer, in 1869. After her marriage, societal expectations and her new responsibilities as a wife and mother led Edma to give up her professional artistic pursuits. This was a common occurrence for women of her status during this period, who were often discouraged or prevented from maintaining careers after marriage.

Although she stopped painting professionally, Edma continued to support her sister Berthe's artistic career, serving as a confidante and occasional model. Edma's own works from her brief career are lesser-known today, overshadowed by Berthe Morisot's success, but they remain an integral part of the narrative of women's contributions to early Impressionist painting. Edma Morisot died in 1921, having witnessed the full bloom and recognition of the Impressionist movement, in which she had played a part during its formative years.