Painted in 1894, the oil-on-canvas work depicts Morisot, a founding figure of Impressionism, seated closely beside her teenage daughter. The portrait combines the intimacy of a family image with a record of the friendships and artistic exchanges that shaped modern European painting during the late 19th century.
The work arrives at Louvre Abu Dhabi after being shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat as part of the third Abu Dhabi Masterpieces Collection exhibition dossier. That presentation, which ran from November 2025 to April 2026, paired the Renoir portrait with André Derain’s monumental 1906 painting The Dance.
Its transfer to Louvre Abu Dhabi expands public access to an artwork that remained in private and family collections for much of its history. The painting was sold at Christie’s in New York in May 2022 for $24.4 million, including fees, before entering the Abu Dhabi Collection.
The collection brings together artworks and historical objects acquired to support Abu Dhabi’s museums and cultural institutions. Its holdings range across periods and regions, allowing individual works to appear in different settings and contribute to broader narratives about artistic exchange, social history and the movement of ideas.
Renoir painted Berthe Morisot and Her Daughter, Julie Manet a year before Morisot’s death. The composition shows mother and daughter pressed closely together, with Julie leaning towards Morisot as the two figures look outward. Soft modelling, loose brushwork and warm tonal transitions place the work within Renoir’s mature portrait style.
The portrait also documents a close relationship between two artists who played central roles in the development of Impressionism. Renoir and Morisot belonged to the independent group that challenged the official Paris Salon system and pursued new approaches to colour, light and everyday experience.
Morisot was the only woman to participate in the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris in 1874. She went on to exhibit in seven of the group’s eight shows, establishing herself alongside Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro and Renoir. Her paintings frequently explored domestic life, gardens, leisure and the experiences of women, using rapid brushwork and shifting areas of light.
Julie was Morisot’s only child with Eugène Manet, the younger brother of painter Édouard Manet. She became a frequent subject in her mother’s work and also sat for Renoir and other artists connected with the family.
The double portrait was created during a difficult period for Morisot and Julie. Eugène Manet had died in 1892, leaving Morisot to care for their daughter while continuing her work as a painter. Renoir remained closely involved with the family and later helped support Julie after Morisot died from pneumonia in March 1895.
Julie, who was 16 when her mother died, later became an artist, collector and chronicler of the Impressionist circle. Her diaries provided detailed accounts of figures including Renoir, Degas, Monet and Stéphane Mallarmé. She also worked to preserve Morisot’s legacy and helped organise exhibitions devoted to artists connected with her family.
The painting stayed with Julie and her descendants for generations. Its long family provenance strengthened its importance in the market when it returned to auction in 2022. It had previously appeared at a Christie’s sale in 2000, when it was acquired by a private collector.
At Louvre Abu Dhabi, the portrait can be viewed within a collection designed to place artworks from different civilisations and periods in dialogue. The museum’s chronological and cross-cultural approach frequently positions European painting alongside works from Asia, Africa and the Middle East rather than presenting it as an isolated tradition.
The Renoir adds to the museum’s representation of 19th-century French art. Louvre Abu Dhabi already holds Renoir’s The Chocolate Cup, painted around 1877–1878, as well as works associated with Édouard Manet, Gustave Caillebotte, Paul Gauguin and other figures linked to the transformation of European art.
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