Berthe Morisot, a painter at the apex of the Impressionist practice in French art, died in 1895 following a thirty-year career. Her work included both portrait and landscape executed in pastel, watercolor and oil and she participated in all but one of the eight Impressionist exhibitions. A friend of both Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir, Morisot was revered by fellow artists for her ability to capture transient light on canvas. As interest in Impressionist expression dominated the early twentieth century, particularly in the United States, Morisot was denied any prominence in art history.

Morisot's six-year relationship with the French Realist Edouard Manet has been used to categorize her as a protégé or, at best, student of the master artist. There is little evidence to substantiate this assumption. Her artistic output has been characterized as insufficient as compared to fellow painters. Morisot's died in 1895 at age 54 and her painting stopped well short of the extended careers of Monet and Renoir. The economics of the art market shifted dramatically to an owner/dealer model after 1886 and her body of work was never accepted within the new model.

Following her death, Morisot was memorialized by family and friends, as late as 1926, in words that did not serve her artistic achievements well. These "word portraits" confused the qualities of Morisot as gracious hostess with the feminine attributes used to describe Impressionism. The result has been a record that betrays the necessary strength, character and determination required of Morisot to make her way as a successful practitioner in a world defined by men. Correcting this misinformation and clarifying the myth surrounding the life of this artist provides an avenue to restore her to her rightful role in the history of Impressionism. By examining factors beyond gender, all women artists might be appreciated in a new light.