Privilege, Prejudice and the Female Artist Who Fought For Recognition

The subtle brilliance of Impressionism’s leading woman painter

The Cradle (1872) by Berthe Morisot. Oil on canvas. 56 × 46 cm. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France. Image Source

Some paintings do their work subtly but no less impressively for it. The Cradle is one such artwork, and rewards time spent looking at it.

Painted by the French artist Berthe Morisot in 1872, it takes us directly into the serene moments of a baby’s sleeping hour.

This image represents a pivotal moment in Morisot’s artistic journey, as she transitioned from early stylistic uncertainty to a bold, confident originality that would define her career.

As a milestone in the development of one of Impressionism’s most brilliant — yet still underappreciated — painters, The Cradle holds a significant place in Morisot’s quest for artistic recognition and in art history at large.

Layers of meaning

Detail of ‘The Cradle’ (1872) by Berthe Morisot. Oil on canvas. 56 × 46 cm. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France. Image Source

The woman in the painting is the artist’s sister, Edma, who is absorbed in thought as she watches over the sleeping form of her daughter, Blanche.