The Cradle by Berthe Morisot

Musée d’Orsay Paris

First seen at the Impressionist exhibition of 1874, The Cradle is probably Berthe Morisot’s most famous painting. She was the first woman to exhibit with the group but while this was commented upon, the painting itself attracted little attention.

It features Morisot’s sister Edma, lost in contemplation as she gazes down on her newborn daughter, Blanche.

At first glance, it exudes a nursery calm but it is only superficially serene. Looking deeper we can see that the painting is swaddled in layers of semi-lucent veils and an inner tension whose urgency was unprecedented in art.

Like other Impressionist artists, Morisot’s uses the sketchy gestures, and the play of light which made the movement so famous is used to great effect but the psychological complexity of The Cradle, makes it crucially modern and moving.