Swans 1888

Curator: This lovely watercolor, "Swans," was painted by Berthe Morisot in 1888. The painting depicts a small gathering of swans afloat a pale watery surface. It's privately owned and a fine example of her delicate touch. What are your first thoughts about it? Editor: It strikes me as quite serene, almost ethereal. The light palette creates a dreamlike quality, with these almost ghostly birds floating across the paper. Curator: Indeed. Morisot was known for capturing fleeting moments, and this watercolor exemplifies that. It reflects Impressionism's focus on light and atmosphere, but what might these swans tell us beyond their aesthetic appeal, when viewed in a larger societal context? Editor: Well, swans often symbolize grace, beauty, and purity, but the presence of the darker bird adds an interesting counterpoint. One must wonder whether Morisot meant this not simply as a formal juxtaposition but as an assertion that not all swans are created equal? A sort of proto-feminist comment, perhaps? Curator: It's plausible to read that tension. However, there's also a tension to observe here: as an Impressionist artist, and as a female painter exhibiting among her peers, how did Morisot leverage societal constructs of femininity—delicacy, tastefulness, intimacy— to claim legitimacy, and in turn disrupt gender expectations in artistic expression? Editor: The swans are indeed placed in a setting with subtle power dynamics. What of the medium? Curator: Morisot's use of watercolor itself aligns with 19th-century associations of watercolor as a feminine art. Though she's certainly manipulating this assumed artistic inferiority to craft art considered in equal measure with art rendered in media like oil. It can be said Morisot's art interrogates societal frameworks which impose limitations to creative freedom, be it through the subjects rendered, in its technique, or both. Editor: So, we can see how her approach was innovative while subtly subverting existing societal structures. I’ll look at Morisot with new eyes! Curator: And hopefully appreciate the nuanced layers that exist within what might initially appear as simply a beautiful watercolor. It’s a reminder of how closely intertwined art and the social forces are within history.