THE COVER

摘要

The Cage (cover), painted in 1885 when Morisot was in her mid-40s, is a wonderful amalgam of both artistic method and personal message. The work is clearly Impressionist in its heightened palette and in its loose, broad brush strokes. Although the gilded cage and the porcelain bowl of flowers are clearly indicated, both foreground and background are ambiguous, almost abstract in their execution. Within the cage two birds, surrounded by various delft blue food and water containers, are roosting on an upper perch. Behind and to the right of the cage is a beautifully decorated bowl containing cut flowers. The foreground is executed-with loose horizontal strokes, whereas in the upper part of the painting the strokes become tighter and more oblique, echoing the upper bars of the cage and also imparting a sense of movement to the otherwise static scene. The overall golden palette is balanced against blues and greens and accented with the tiny red daubs on the birds and the decorated bowl.