Berthe Morisot - Shepherdess Resting Bath Mat

Shepherdess Resting (Bergère couchée), painted in 1891 in oil on canvas by Berthe Morisot, is an Impressionist rural scene showing a young shepherdess stretched out in the grass at Mézy. The model was Gabrielle Dufour, a friend of Julie Manet, portrayed in a white blouse, lilac skirt and bright red-orange kerchief, with her goat Colette nearby beneath a pear tree. Rather than presenting an idealised pastoral figure, Morisot gives the scene the informal character of an observed moment outdoors. The painting belongs to her late period, when she was paying renewed attention to drawing and the definition of the human figure. It was included in her 1892 exhibition at Boussod and Valadon, the only solo exhibition of her work held during her lifetime.