Manet and Morisot: Impressions of an artistic friendship

[00:00:01]It's an exhibit that paints the work of two pioneering impressionists in a different light and it's now on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

[00:00:16]Most of us are acquainted with Edward Manet, a towering figure in the world of impressionists. But there was also Bert Moriso, a female painter who's remained largely in Manet's shadow, at least until now.

[00:00:31]>> I think theirs is an unequal relationship from the beginning. He's already a famous or really quite infamous figure in the Parisian art world by the time they meet. I just want this amazing.

[00:00:44]>> Emily Beanie is the chief curator of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, where the exhibit originated and the first to give equal billing to the two impressionists in a major exhibition.

[00:00:55]>> At the beginning of the relationship, it's driven in large part by her admiration for him. But as time goes on and she really finds her footing as a member of the impressionist group, he begins to borrow elements of her style.

[00:01:09]He was entranced by her, probably by her intellect, her presence, and certainly, I think he couldn't have helped but notice her beauty.

[00:01:19]>> Their friendship was sparked when he had her sit for portraits. Manet painted her, and eventually Moriso helped transform him, at least artistically, says Heather Brown, curator of European works here at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The style I think channels Moriso's own way of painting particularly in the way the coat and the fur pelise is painted in this very loose brushy kind of a way.

[00:01:50]>> Whether they were anything more than friends has long been a source of speculation. Moriso ended up being Manet's sister-in-law.

[00:01:58]Regardless though, seeing their work side by side, it's clear their creative relationship was mutually beneficial.

[00:02:07]>> Visitors often become confused about who painted what. That's how closely they are sort of experimenting in the same direction. But Morizo is the first to recognize that a painting that looks as sketchy as this can be a finished work of art.

[00:02:22]>> Not even Manet's death in 1883 could quiet the dialogue between the two.

[00:02:28]Moriso continued to refine her style, surrounded by the work of her former teacher and dear friend.

[00:02:34]>> I hope that visitors leave this particular exhibition with a richer sense of this singular friendship.

[00:02:49]Though Moriso never reached the same level of recognition as Manet, today more than a century after they stopped painting, her contributions to modern art are undeniable.

[00:03:00]>> Manet and Morizo are both artists kind of pushing the ball down the field in terms of the evolution of modern art.

[00:03:09]They are both determined to make art something new. And I think this is part of what makes them artists artists.