Lucie Léon at the Piano
Berthe Morisot·1892
Historical Context
Painted in 1892 and now in the Seattle Art Museum, this canvas of Lucie Léon at the piano belongs to a series of musical subjects Morisot explored in the early 1890s, particularly in connection with her nieces and family friends. The piano — an instrument central to middle-class feminine accomplishment — appears as subject in several works by Morisot and her Impressionist circle. The pianist's absorbed concentration offers the quality of interiority Morisot found consistently compelling in female subjects.
Technical Analysis
The piano's dark form provides strong tonal structure against which the figure and the instrument's lighter keyboard area are placed. Morisot renders Lucie's concentration through posture and downward gaze, the figure built from warm flesh tones and the pale clothing painted with characteristic loose strokes.
