Young Woman in a Rowboat, Eventail 1891

Berthe Morisot created this work – Young Woman in a Rowboat – on a fan, using watercolour. The choice of a fan, and a female subject are suggestive of the work of women in art during 19th Century France. While many female artists were limited in the subject matter they could explore, Morisot focuses on domestic scenes and portraits of women, and the Impressionist style captures a fleeting moment of everyday life. The loose brushstrokes and delicate colours evoke a sense of movement and light, which in turn evokes freedom. As Impressionism gained acceptance in the French artistic establishment, institutions like the Salon began to exhibit the work of female artists more frequently. Yet, this acceptance also came with expectations and limitations, as women were often confined to certain genres. The social history of this artwork is in the way it comments on the position of women in French society during the late 19th century. Art historians use letters, exhibition reviews, and other archival documents to contextualize works like these, and to trace a changing social landscape.