The Easel

28th October 2025

5 Things to Know about the Friendship of Manet and Morisot

So, were the 19th century artists Manet and Morisot romantically linked? Probably not, although he painted her many times, they collected each other’s works and there is some suggestive correspondence. More consequentially, Morisot was far more than Manet’s student or muse. She embraced Impressionism early; later, his style also loosened.  She followed his idea of figures on a balcony while his work of a woman before a mirror closely resembled hers. Perhaps, says a writer, the key dynamic was “mutual regard”.