William Merritt Chase, New York; his sale, New York, American Art Galleries, 1896, lot 1093 [according to Clairet 1997]. Mary Cassatt, 1896 [see Paris 1896]. Durand-Ruel, Paris, 1905 [see London 1905]. Wildenstein & Co., New York [according to Chicago 1933]. Paul Rosenberg, New York by 1924; sold to the Art Institute, 1924.
From getting tutored by brilliant masters of art in town, only to be able to draw for their father, to making a distinguishing assertion of her own art style in the birth of Impressionism, while playing with styles like contrast and plein air paintings, Berthe Morisot set a mesmerizing example by the painting, Women at her Toilette. In a world where art was male dominated, Morisot prevailed and pushed her way into establishing herself with her own unique style. Her paintings mostly include a feathery touch, giving it a light, luminiscent texture and an airy feeling. This painting is exactly that, where we can see a woman in front of a mirror in her bathroom, getting ready for an Opera maybe, dressed in a fashionable dress by Worth from that age. Her gaze is facing away from the viewer which gives it a sense of privacy as most women artists had restricted access to models. The painting captures one of the vulnerable moments of a woman's life where in her private space, she can be anyone she wants, not in a hurry to be presented or objectified as they usually were in the world. Morisot manages to show the sensuality of the woman in a non-sexual way as many male artists did. It proved that the attention towards women and the type of gaze they get is entirely on the viewer rather than the subject. The subject is a Parisienne, an urbanized and fashionable women who epitomized modernity in late 19th century France. She is seen at her vanity table after a ball, wearing her earrings and a velvet ribbon around her neck, taking down her chignon hairstyle. The palette is gray, lilac, and hues of blue with some dense color contrasts to balance out the composition. The brushwork is quick and hazy, which makes the figure blend into the surrounding as we see the nose and cheek are defined only by similar shades and no definition of lines. Her name is etched into the painting of mirror, which was a style she learned from her colleague. In the background is a glass vase and flowers and we see subtle design of the wall with similar shades. It makes the eye take a journey from the subject to her background. Morisot turns this moment for the viewer as someone watching as a confidant, not a voyeur. To take such a narrative, and define women in art where their vanity is expanded than just a mirror, this painting holds a special place in history.
This artwork by Berthe Morisot displays a woman in her private space in a very non-sexual manner. It is commendable for an artist to depict such beauty even with the female figure's back to the viewer. The techniques Moriset used to depict this beautiful piece of art is unique and effortless, with the figure almost blending into her surrounding
