Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets
Édouard Manet (1872)
Édouard Manet’s Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets is a close, modern portrait built as a <strong>symphony in black</strong> punctuated by a tiny violet knot. Side‑light chisels the face from a cool, silvery ground while hat, scarf, and coat merge into one dark silhouette, and the eyes are painted strikingly <strong>black</strong> for effect <sup>[1]</sup>. The single touch of violets introduces a discreet, coded <strong>tenderness</strong> within the portrait’s refined restraint <sup>[1]</sup><sup>[3]</sup><sup>[4]</sup>.
