The Wet Nurse Angele Feeding Julie Manet 1880

Berthe Morisot made this intimate oil painting, The Wet Nurse Angele Feeding Julie Manet, with loose brushstrokes and a light palette. Morisot’s broken brushwork creates a sense of immediacy, with the forms of the figures and landscape suggested rather than precisely defined. The visible brushstrokes and unfinished quality emphasize the artist's hand, reminding us of the labor involved in its production. The painting's focus on domestic life and motherhood reflects Morisot's personal experience as a woman artist in 19th-century France. It’s a glimpse into the intimate world of bourgeois families, where even the act of breastfeeding could be outsourced, reflecting social hierarchies and labor practices. By depicting this scene with such sensitivity and attention to the everyday, Morisot challenges traditional notions of what constitutes a worthy subject for art. The painting invites us to consider the social and economic context of its creation, reminding us that even the most intimate moments are shaped by broader forces.