Young Girl with a Cat, after a portrait of Julie Manet by Renoir
Original title: Young Girl with a Cat, after a portrait of Julie Manet by Renoir
kurzbeschreibung
Berthe Morisot made this drypoint in 1889. It shows a girl holding a kitten in her arms, based on a portrait of Julie Manet painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The print is a drypoint on laid paper.
Description
A young woman in a simple, long dress sits upright, a kitten cradled against her. Her gaze turns slightly to the right, while the young cat, its fur a mix of light and dark, rests on her lap. The background is sparse, directing attention to the figure, which is placed a little to the left. The image is monochrome in greys, with even light and no strong shadows. Delicate lines and hatching define the contours and surfaces of both girl and cat.
Context
In 1889 Morisot created this drypoint as a reproduction after a painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir depicting Julie Manet, her sister's daughter. Morisot was a leading figure of Impressionism and frequently explored printmaking. At the time, artists were beginning to value prints more as an independent art form. This impression is numbered 2/25, indicating a small edition.
Impact
The drypoint's fine lines and calm, balanced layout give it an intimate, refined quality. The restriction to greys lends the subject a quiet, timeless elegance and brings the relationship between girl and cat to the fore.
Technique
In drypoint, lines are scratched directly into the copper plate with a needle. Printing yields a characteristic soft burr. The print was pulled on laid paper, whose fine texture enhances the delicate lines. The method allows precise shading to model the forms of the figure and the kitten.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)