Jeannie's Head (Tete de Jeannie) 1888

Berthe Morisot, a leading female Impressionist, painted 'Jeannie's Head' with oil on canvas. Morisot belonged to the upper class and faced gendered barriers in the 19th-century art world, yet she achieved recognition by focusing her work on domestic scenes and portraits of women and children. In this painting, Morisot captures the innocence and quiet introspection of childhood through her delicate brushwork and soft color palette. The choice to portray Jeannie in profile emphasizes her youth, framing her as an object of observation and reflection. The dark collar around the child's neck might hint at the constraints placed upon women. Morisot adeptly navigates the societal expectations of her time while subtly challenging conventional representations of women. She presents Jeannie not merely as a passive figure, but as an individual with her own thoughts and inner life, reflecting on the complex interplay of identity, representation, and lived experience.