Berthe Morisot

Although flowers are frequently included in Berthe Morisot’s portraits and interiors, still lifes make up only a small percentage of her work. White Flowers in a Bowl demonstrates the spontaneity associated with her late style. Morisot describes the forms of the bowl, pitcher, and bouquet with a thickly loaded brush, employing a loose, fluent touch. The quick, short strokes used for the flower petals convey the soft, dense quality of the white blooms, traditionally identified as Reines-Marguerites (an aster varietal). Morisot leaves peripheral sections of the unprimed canvas visible, emphasizing the unpremeditated appearance of her composition.