Berthe Morisot: Dans la Véranda

Berthe Morisot

(1841-1895)


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Dans la véranda


Painted in Bougival, summer 1884


signed 'Berthe Morisot' (lower left)


oil on canvas


32 x 39 ½ in. (81.2 x 100.2 cm.)

Painted in the summer of 1884, Dans la véranda is a luminous portrait of Morisot’s daughter, Julie Manet, shown arranging flowers in the sunroom of their Bougival home. At five and a half years old, Julie is depicted in a moment of quiet concentration, absorbed in creative play—a recurring theme in Morisot’s work. The painting, notable for its unusually large scale and dynamic brushwork, reflects the artist’s deep maternal bond and her commitment to portraying Julie's intellectual and artistic development.


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Sunlight floods the interior, highlighting vivid contrasts—such as Julie’s orange hair against the lush green outdoors—while the window’s reflections and framing structure create a sophisticated play of space and perception. Critics have noted the composition’s complexity and the painting’s near-abstract surface, which anticipates the energy of late Monet or even Abstract Expressionism.


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Exhibited more often than any other of Morisot’s works, Dans la véranda was shown at the Exposition Internationale (1887), Morisot’s first solo show (1892), and a posthumous retrospective (1896).