In 1874, at a small studio in the centre of Paris, an exhibition opened featuring the collected work of a group known as the 'anonymous society of artists'.
The critics hated it. They gave the group another name meant as a put down - The Impressionists. It came from the title of one of the paintings by a young artist called Manet. Another visitor, who toured the exhibition, recognised the work of one of his young art students. He was horrified and wrote to her mother saying she was risking her virtue by associating with such madmen. The daughter's name was Berthe Morisot and she went on to show her paintings in all but one of the society's exhibitions over the next decade. Margaret Shennan is the author of Morisot's biography. So how did the well-brought up young Berthe come to meet the Impressionists? 'Berthe Morisot: The First Lady Of Impressionism' (Sutton Publishing; ISBN: 0 7509 2339 3) Berthe Morisot is the subject of our drama 'A Money With A Box Of Paints' which runs from Monday to Friday this week.
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