Five Women Impressionists You Need To Know

Impressionist art was heavily criticized and in some cases dismissed altogether. Art critic Téodor de Wyzewa claimed that ‘Only a woman has the right to rigorously practice the Impressionist system’ as it was seen as unskilled and men shouldn’t waste their talent with such a limited technique.

Women were stopped from doing traditional painting because it was deemed to ambitious as they didn’t have the depth of knowledge required, unlike the men. Female painters were nudged in the direction of Impressionism and it became the first movement to include women as founding members.

The Impressionists were rebellious and decided to stage their own exhibitions outside of the Salon where they were overlooked by the critics. Despite the radical nature of the Impressionists, only five women would go on to show at the eight exhibitions and many others were still excluded from the movement. Below are five women Impressionists who broke the mould and began to pave the way for women in art.

Berthe Morisot (1841-1895)

Berthe was a French painter and member of the circle of painters in Paris who famously became known as the Impressionists. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be an artist and from 1862-1868 she understudied fellow French painter Camille Carot. Morisot first exhibited work at the Salon in 1864 and continued to do so through 1874 until she joined forces with the other Impressionists whose work had also been dismissed.

In 1868 Berthe met Edouard Manet who she quickly developed a working relationship with. Manet, himself, painted a number of portraits of Berthe and his interest in outdoor painting soon rubbed off on Morisot who shares more similarities to Manet than that of the other Impressionists of the time. Through her relationship with Edouard, Berthe met and later married his younger brother Eugene in 1874.

She was described by art critic Gustave Geffroy in 1894 as one of "les trois grandes dames" (The three great ladies) of Impressionism alongside Marie Bracquemond and Mary Cassatt.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)

American painter and printmaker Mary Cassatt was a part of the Impressionist group working in Paris. The subject of her work was predominantly contemporary women captured intimately, often shown to be looking after children.

Mary studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1861-65 but chose a more practical approach and moved to Europe to learn from artists including Thomas Couture and Jean-Léon Gérôme. She first showed work at the Salon in 1872 and continued to show there for the next four years being the only American privileged enough to show with the Impressionists.

In 1874 Mary chose to settle in Paris where she established a studio. Like many impressionists, she was interested in using bright colours inspired by working out-of-doors. Cassatt became friends with Edgar Degas who was an admirer of her work once claiming ‘No woman has the right to draw like that’. Degas and Cassatt shared a great understanding of drawing and Edgar later requested that Mary join him and the other Impressionists in exhibiting in 1879, 1880, 1881 and 1886.

Cassatt also urged her wealthy American relatives and friends to buy Impressionist paintings which ultimately influenced American taste for decades to come.

Marie Bracquemond (1840-1916)

French painter Marie Bracquemond was lesser known than her counterparts largely due to the efforts of her husband, Félix Bracquemond, who despite applauding his wife’s artistic talent, didn’t approve of her transition to more Impressionist techniques.

She began painting as a teen and was taught by M. Auguste Vassort who was known for restoring paintings. Marie very quickly excelled and in 1857, the painting she sent to the Salon was accepted. Marie then began working outdoors on large canvases as she turned to Monet and Degas for mentorship and exhibited with the other Impressionists in 1879, 1880 and 1886.

As Marie continued to be overshadowed by her husbands work she became discouraged by the lack of interest in her own and decided to largely give up painting apart from selected private commissions but she remained an avid supporter of the Impressionist movement until her death in 1916.

Eva Gonzalès (1849-1883)

Born in Paris, Eva Gonzalès is known for her paintings of Parisian life. At the age of 16, Eva began studying under Charles Chaplin and three years later she met Manet who she initially modelled for before become his student. She first exhibited at the Salon in 1870 the same year that Manet painted two portraits of her.

The time Gonzalès spent learning from Manet became a hindrance as critics claimed her style was too similar to that of her mentors. These were comparisons that would haunt her throughout her career as the audience continued to point out the raw similarities between the works of the two artists. Her painting A Loge at the Théâtre des Italiens (1874) in particular was noted as her depiction of the figures with pale skin, set against a dark background was clearly influenced by Manet’s portraits.

After her death, at the age of just 34, her father arranged a memorial exhibition to showcase her 88 works. The works that didn’t sell were subsequently put up for auction and have since disappeared. In the late 20th century, she finally stepped out of Manet’s shadow and became recognised as one of the most influential Impressionist artists of her time.

Lilla Cabot Perry (1848-1933)

Born in Boston, Massachusetts Lilla Cabot Perry was an artist who was not only influenced by the Impressionists but was also a big promoter of their work in America. In 1874 she married Professor of Literature, Thomas Sergeant Perry, and the pair went on to have three children who would often become the muses for her work. The Perry household became hub for writers such as John La Farge, who urged Lilla to study painting.

Perry, in 1886, began studying at the Cowles School of Art in Boston where she would have private lessons until next summer where she and her family traveled to Paris where she would work with English painter Alfred Stevens. The family continued to summer in France for years to come where they would stay in Giverny, not far from Monet who became a friend to the family and mentor to Lilla.

Monet taught Lilla Impressionist techniques and encouraged her to translate the work in her sketchbook to canvas and after returning home to Boston with one of Monet’s paintings, Perry published a number of essays on Impressionism and urged the public to purchase work from Claude Monet.