Berthe Morisot faceted Earrings

Original work

The little girl from Nice, Célestine, 1889 - Oil on canvas, 64 x 52 cm

In 1889, Berthe Morisot travelled to the French Riviera with her daughter for a rest.

The model, whose name is not known to us but seems to be the daughter of friends, is not a young peasant from Nice, despite the title given to the painting in 1896, but a young girl dressed as a peasant.
Dressed in a simple costume embellished with a rose in a buttonhole, the lipstick and earrings, the young girl clearly suggests that she is posing in a dress that is not her own.

Based on Julie Manet's writings, the daughter of the artist, the model may be Célestine Gigoux, even though nothing is known about her.