Portrait of a Woman

This 1873 portrait at the Courtauld Gallery dates from the year before the first Impressionist exhibition and reflects Morisot's engagement with formal portraiture during a transitional moment in her career. Her study under Corot and her close relationship with Édouard Manet are both visible in the assured placement of the sitter against a neutral background. The identity of the subject is not documented, suggesting a studio model rather than a named commission. By 1873 Morisot was moving steadily away from academic portrait conventions toward the freer handling that would characterise her mature Impressionist work.

The portrait balances careful rendering of the face with looser treatment of clothing and background, anticipating her later method. Manet's influence is visible in the tonal simplification and strong value contrasts used to anchor form.