The Pinned Hat. The Daughter of Berthe Morisot and her Cousin c. 19th century

Editor: This is Renoir’s "The Pinned Hat. The Daughter of Berthe Morisot and her Cousin," a beautiful etching currently at the Harvard Art Museums. The image feels both intimate and a bit chaotic with all of the scribbled lines. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see Renoir engaging with prevailing social norms. Consider the hats – symbols of bourgeois femininity and respectability. These children, in their playful interaction, are both embodying and perhaps subtly questioning those roles. Editor: Questioning? How so? Curator: Notice the slightly frenetic energy in the lines, the unfinished quality. Is Renoir suggesting that these roles are imposed, not inherent? The image might also be exploring the constraints placed upon women, even from childhood, within that social strata. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. It really enriches the image. Curator: Absolutely. It reminds us that art is never created in a vacuum. Editor: I'll definitely remember that. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It's all about engaging with the work and its many layers.