Young Girl in a Ball Gown 1879

Berthe Morisot painted this portrait of a young woman in a ball gown. Morisot was one of the few female Impressionist painters who navigated the restricted social environment for women in the 19th century.   The painting depicts a woman in a formal white gown, surrounded by foliage. The loose brushstrokes and delicate rendering of light capture a sense of fleeting beauty, typical of Impressionism. The model’s gaze, directed slightly off to the side, lends the portrait an introspective quality, hinting at the complex inner life of women in that era. Morisot, through her unique position as a woman, often portrayed domestic and private scenes of women's lives, offering a counterpoint to the male-dominated art world. In this portrait, she delicately balances the societal expectations of women with a subtle assertion of individual character and emotion. The work acts as a reflection on identity within the rigid structures of 19th-century society.