The Duck is an intimate print created by Berthe Morisot between 1888 and 1890. This piece is classified as a print, showcasing the expressive potential of the etching and drypoint mediums. A founding member of the French Impressionist movement, Morisot was known primarily for her light-filled oils and pastels, but she explored graphic arts during the latter stages of her career, finding in printmaking a vehicle for spontaneity similar to sketching.
Morisot's decision to use drypoint, a technique where a sharp needle is used directly on the plate to create burred, velvety lines, lends a soft, immediate texture to the work. This approach allows the artist to capture the essence of a simple subject with characteristic lightness of touch. While many Impressionists focused on Parisian street life or broad landscapes, Morisot consistently focused her compositions on the quiet, domestic, and private spheres of life in France, extending her observational gaze to animals and everyday objects.
The rarity of Morisot’s prints, compared to her voluminous output in other mediums, makes works like this crucial for understanding her full artistic range and experimental nature. This fine example of her graphic technique is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because of its historical age and importance, this work is often featured among accessible art prints that have entered the public domain, allowing wide study of Morisot’s contributions to fin-de-siècle art.
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