Woman at Her Toilette
Rendered with feathery brushstrokes in shades of lavender, pink, blue, white, and gray, this Impressionist painting captures a subject often explored by male artists of the day but seldom broached by the period's few women artists. Morisot presents a decidely female perspective, intimate yet not eroticized. She signed her name along the bottom of the mirror, as if to suggest that the image in her painting is as ephemeral as a silvery reflection.
Details
- Palette
-
Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 60.3 × 80.4 cm (23 3/4 × 31 5/8 in.); Framed: 85.8 × 105.5 × 10.5 cm (33 3/4 × 41 1/2 × 4 1/8 in.)
- Origin
- France
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Stickney Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Interiors Both · 99%
The scene takes place in a furnished interior containing a vanity area, mirror, patterned surfaces, and domestic furnishings.
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Human Figure Both · 99%
A single human figure occupies the central foreground; the museum identifies her as a Parisienne.
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Figure from the Back (Rückenfigur) Visual · 96%
The figure is presented predominantly from behind, with only part of the head and profile visible.
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Related to Fashion Both · 95%
The catalog lists fashion and dresses among the subjects, while the image shows formal clothing, an earring, and a dark neck ribbon.
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Reflections Both · 92%
A tall mirror is visible at the left, and the catalog specifically notes that the figure’s reflection is obscured.
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The Domestic and Domesticity Both · 91%
The work depicts a private grooming ritual within a domestic interior, a context emphasized in the museum description.
Styles and Movements
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Impressionism Both · 99%
The catalog identifies the work as Impressionist, and the image shows broken, feathery brushwork, softened contours, and a light atmospheric palette.
Visual Qualities
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Pastel Colors Visual · 96%
Lavender, pale pink, blue, white, gray, and muted brown dominate the image.
Medium and Techniques
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Oil Painting Metadata · 99%
The museum specifies the medium as oil on canvas.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The work is dated 1875–80.
Geographic Regions
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French Art Metadata · 99%
The artist is identified as French and the place of origin is France.
Furniture and Lighting
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Mirror Both · 97%
The catalog identifies a mirror, which is also visibly represented as a tall reflective surface along the left side.
Source & rights
Berthe Morisot. Woman at Her Toilette. The Art Institute of Chicago.