Landscape

The Drawing titled Landscape by Berthe Morisot is an important early example of the French artist’s initial engagement with naturalistic subject matter. Classified technically as a Drawing, this intimate piece utilizes the medium of colored pencils, showcasing the delicate and nuanced effects achievable through dry media. The work is dated within the broad historical scope of the 1826 to 1850 period, documenting the artistic foundations Morisot built during her formative years leading toward the mid-19th century. Today, the drawing is held within the esteemed permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.

The choice of colored pencils allows Morisot to render the distant terrain and foreground elements with subtle gradations of tone and texture, distinguishing it from traditional academic drawings executed strictly in graphite or charcoal. While Morisot is internationally recognized for her later contributions to Impressionism, this preliminary work demonstrates her early technical proficiency in the observational rendering required of young French artists in the 1840s. The emphasis on defining form through careful use of line and localized color suggests an immediate study conducted en plein air or based on direct visual experience, rather than a highly finished studio composition. This early command over detailed drawing was crucial to Morisot's subsequent artistic development toward a looser, more evocative handling of light and form characteristic of her mature style.

Dating from a period when the study of landscape was growing in prominence across French art circles, this work provides critical insight into the curriculum and artistic interests of women artists like Morisot before their full professional careers began. Though modest in scale and execution, this study represents a foundational document for one of the foremost female artists of the 19th century. As an important piece from the National Gallery of Art’s holdings, the drawing is often made available to the public. High-quality prints derived from this public domain resource allow students and enthusiasts worldwide to study the nascent talent of Morisot, appreciating her early command over colored pencils and the traditions defining the 1826 to 1850 era.