Berthe Morisot with a Muff

Manet portrayed Morisot in a winter coat and feathered hat. Broad brushstrokes and crosshatching recall the freedom of her own painting. He kept this portrait until his death, when it entered the studio inventory. It belongs to the sustained personal and professional exchange between the two painters.

Morisot turns her face to the left. The small illuminated profile appears between the broad dark areas of hat and coat.

A black-and-white feathered hat rises above her head. A few broad strokes describe its complex form without a uniformly smooth outline.

Her hands disappear into a dark muff. Winter clothing determines the figure's compact pose, leaving only the face exposed.

The dark garment broadens downward. Crosshatching in the shadows is compared by the museum with Morisot's own sketchlike manner.

A warm brown ground surrounds the figure. Manet omits a detailed room, keeping attention on the face, clothing, and brushwork.

Manet painted several portraits of Morisot, including two in winter clothing. Here he left the brushwork conspicuous. The suggestion of a deliberate reference to her painting is a museum interpretation rather than a documented statement by the artist.