See ‘Manet & Morisot’ in Cleveland

The woman sits with her head turned slightly as she gazes out from the canvas. Soft browns blur into the background, while light and dark hues collide in her coat and hat. Famed 19th-century painter Édouard Manet created the painting, titled “Berthe Morisot with a Muff.” Viewers may not realize it, but the the subject of the portrait was an artist in her own right.

These layers of identity are at the center of “Manet & Morisot,” which runs March 29 through July 5 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Featuring more than 40 works, it marks the first major exhibition to explore how the artists’ relationship evolved over time through collaboration, competition and familial connection.

Morisot would frequently model for Manet and he in turn would act as a creative mentor to her. Morisot eventually married Manet’s brother, Eugene, which further deepened the pair’s relationship. The exhibition invites viewers to directly compare their composition and technique and examine the ways in which the two artists influenced each other. Visitors first encounter portraits of Morisot by Manet before moving through works paired by subject, from seascapes to depictions of domestic life.

“You’ll kind of get to see her in that first gallery through his eyes,” says Heather Lemonedes Brown, curator of modern European art and hosting curator for the exhibition. “Then the show goes on. You start to see how they have a dialogue in their art. He influencing her, her influencing him — in subject matter and in style.”

This includes a series of four paintings depicting the seasons: summer and winter painted by Morisot and fall and spring created in response by Manet. There are also two portraits of Morisot’s daughter, Julie. In Manet’s version, she appears posed, while in Morisot’s, she is absorbed in play.

The exhibition concludes with Morisot’s 1885 self-portrait, which she painted near the end of her life following Manet’s death. She is depicted holding her artist’s palette, formally asserting her identity as a professional artist.

“I hope that the exhibit makes people think about friendship and how friendships can evolve over time,” Brown says, “how they’re always kind of ebbing and flowing.”

11150 East Blvd., Cleveland 44106, 216/421-7350, clevelandart.org

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