"Boats under Construction" is a small oil painting by the French Impressionist Berthe Morisot, dated 1874 and measuring just 32 × 41 cm ^[3]. The work captures a maritime scene of boat-building, a subject that allowed Morisot to explore the interplay of natural light, water, and human labor. It was painted in the same year Morisot joined the first Impressionist exhibition (15 April – 15 May 1874), held at the studio of the photographer Nadar alongside Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley ^[1].

Provenance: the collection of the Musée Marmottan Monet

The painting belongs to the collection of the Musée Marmottan Monet (Wikidata Musée Marmottan Monet) ^[3]. The work is documented in the museum's holdings, though its full ownership chain before entering the collection is not recorded in the available sources ^[3][4].

Date: 1874 and the first Impressionist exhibition

The verified catalogue dates Boats under Construction to 1874 ^[3]. This places the work in the pivotal year of Morisot's career when she abandoned the official Paris Salon — where she had exhibited in 1864 and in six subsequent Salons as a student of Joseph Guichard and Achille-Francois Oudinot — to join the "rejected" Impressionists in their first independent exhibition ^[1]. Morisot went on to participate in all but one of the following eight Impressionist exhibitions between 1874 and 1886 ^[1].

Technique: scale and the Impressionist approach

At 32 × 41 cm, the painting is a compact work, consistent with the intimate scale Morisot favored for her plein-air studies ^[3]. The work's subject — boats under construction — reflects the Impressionist interest in modern life and everyday scenes, rendered with the loose brushwork and attention to light effects that characterized the movement ^[1]. Morisot's technique was shaped by her position within the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists, a group that included her brother-in-law Édouard Manet, whom she married into through Eugène Manet, his brother ^[1].

Iconography: maritime labor and the French coast

The painting depicts the process of boat construction, a theme that connects human industry with the natural coastal environment. The subject matter aligns with Morisot's broader interest in scenes of contemporary life, though the available sources do not specify the exact location depicted ^[3][4]. The work's focus on labor and craftsmanship stands apart from the domestic and feminine subjects for which Morisot is often best known, demonstrating the range of her subject matter within the Impressionist project ^[1].

Critical reception: Morisot among "les trois grandes dames"

Morisot's standing within the Impressionist movement was recognized by the art critic Gustave Geffroy, who in 1894 described her as one of Les trois grandes dames, "The three great ladies," of Impressionism alongside Marie Bracquemond and Mary Cassatt ^[1]. This recognition came late in Morisot's life — she died on 2 March 1895 in Paris — and affirmed her position as a central figure in the movement rather than a peripheral participant ^[1][2].

Frequently asked questions

When was Boats under Construction painted? The work is dated to 1874 according to the verified catalogue and Wikidata ^[3].

Where is the painting located today? The painting is in the collection of the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris ^[3].

What are the dimensions of the work? The painting measures 32 × 41 cm ^[3].