Morisot painted this while she was on her honeymoon, and it isn't a romantic cliché at all. Her husband Eugene is looking out a window at a world that feels just out of reach. The window frame acts as a barrier and it blurs the line between the safety of the room and the chaos of the outside world. It’s a quiet and slightly melancholy image that shows the reality of a relationship.
The style is sketchy and it’s very fast. Morisot was capturing a fleeting mood before the light changed and the moment vanished. You can see the movement of the brush in every stroke. She wasn't interested in the easy answer or a pretty picture of a husband. She was interested in the psychology of the space and the feeling of being between two worlds. It’s a bold and honest look at the start of a marriage.
This painting represents Morisot’s ability to find the profound in the personal. She took a private moment and she turned it into a complex study of light and distance. She proved that she was never going to settle for the traditional roles that the world wanted her to play. It’s a powerful and unique work that shows her true independence as an artist.
Bibliography
Manet, Julie. Growing Up with the Impressionists. Sotheby's Publications 1987.
Rouart, Denis. The Correspondence of Berthe Morisot. Tammarisk Books 1986.
Musée Marmottan Monet. Berthe Morisot and her circle. Digital Archives 2024.