Berthe Morisot was not only a career woman, but also a loving wife and mother. Unlike many female artists who were forced to give up either their careers or hopes of a family, Morisot had the best of both worlds. In her painting, Hide and Seek she depicts a mother playing with her child. The mother is Berthe’s sister Edma, and the child is her daughter. Both Edma and Berthe were given painting lessons at a young age and both went on to paint, yet once Edma became pregnant she decided to leave her painting behind. Some critics infer that Berthe at times envied her sister’s freedom, as oxymoronic as it is. Berthe was given the freedom to be a painter,yet longed at times to be a mother to her daughter and a wife to her husband. She did not want the pressure she felt as a painter to effect her home life, and keeping business and family separate was a daunting task. 

The painting is characteristic of Morisot, and many other women impressionists, a loving bond between a mother and child. The impact her friendship with Manet had on her painting style is clear here. She met Manet in 1868, and this was painted in 1873. The mother and her child are camouflaged in nature; the viewer cannot tell where the grass ends and her dress begins. In Morisot’s fashion the brushstrokes are quick and almost whimsical. The feeling of the painting is very serene and peaceful. It encompasses Morisot’s feelings about motherhood and painting, pure joy. Morisot is a remarkable painter, more talented than anyone could have given her credit for.