Young Girl with a Cat, after a portrait of Julie Manet by Renoir

Young Girl with a Cat, after a portrait of Julie Manet by Renoir by Berthe Morisot, dating from 1889, is an intimate print executed in drypoint on laid paper. As a founding member of the Impressionist group, Morisot was renowned for her delicate portrayals of domestic life and children. This specific work holds biographical significance, as it references a portrait by her colleague Pierre-Auguste Renoir featuring Julie Manet, the daughter of Morisot’s sister Edma and the painter Édouard Manet. This familial connection highlights the intensely personal nature of Morisot's chosen subjects.

The drypoint technique utilized here is particularly characteristic of Morisot’s graphic output. Unlike etching, drypoint involves incising lines directly into the copper plate, displacing metal to form a burr that captures ink and results in soft, velvety lines when printed. In this expressive portrait, the focus is on a young girl captured in a moment of quiet interaction with a cat resting in her lap. The spontaneity of the lines conveys the immediacy typical of Impressionist draftsmanship, prioritizing atmosphere over rigid detail, and capturing the gentle relationship between the subject and the animal.

As a fine example of Morisot’s work in the print medium late in her career, this piece demonstrates the artist’s versatility beyond oil painting. This highly valued print resides within the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Because of its historical importance and age, key Impressionist works, particularly Morisot’s prints like Young Girl with a Cat, frequently enter the public domain, ensuring wide accessibility for art historians and enthusiasts worldwide.