![1871, Berthe Morisot, The Harbor at Cherbourg, 1871 [watercolor] -- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond) | by R.M.Lenox](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53638737753_3074abcf6e.jpg)
1871, Berthe Morisot, The Harbor at Cherbourg, 1871 [watercolor] -- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond)
From the museum label: The 19th century was a period of rapid industrialization and urban development. Impressionist art grappled with this changing environment indirectly--factories can often be seen in the background of landscapes. For Morisot, watercolor was an ideal medium to articulate plumes of dark smoke emerging from the chimneys in the distance on the left. With just a few strokes of bright blue, she evokes the patches of sky that break through clouds on an overcast day, providing a stark contrast to the muted tones of the boats and harbor. It was unusual for women artists to depict industrial landscapes, however, Morisot, who vacationed with her family to coastal locations in France and England, captured harbor scenes and shipyards throughout the 1870s and '80s.
1871, Berthe Morisot, The Harbor at Cherbourg, 1871 [watercolor] -- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond)
From the museum label: The 19th century was a period of rapid industrialization and urban development. Impressionist art grappled with this changing environment indirectly--factories can often be seen in the background of landscapes. For Morisot, watercolor was an ideal medium to articulate plumes of dark smoke emerging from the chimneys in the distance on the left. With just a few strokes of bright blue, she evokes the patches of sky that break through clouds on an overcast day, providing a stark contrast to the muted tones of the boats and harbor. It was unusual for women artists to depict industrial landscapes, however, Morisot, who vacationed with her family to coastal locations in France and England, captured harbor scenes and shipyards throughout the 1870s and '80s.