Lot Essay
The two young girls depicted in Le Piano are Julie Manet, Berthe Morisot's daughter, and Jeannie Gobillard, the artist's niece. Known as 'the little Manets', the two girls were inseparable as children and when Morisot died Stephen Mallarmé was appointed their joint legal guardian. Ten years after the present pastel was executed, the pair arranged a joint wedding ceremony where Jeannie married the symbolist poet Paul Valéry and Julie married Ernst Rouart, the son of Degas' pupil, Henri Rouart. Degas had a large part to play in both these marriages.
The present pastel is the product of a whole series of sketches and studies in pastel, charcoal, pencil and watercolour that Morisot executed of this important composition between 1887 and 1888 (cf. B. & W. nos. 524 and 525). Morisot also executed three oils of the composition which include single studies of Julie (B. & W. 228) and Jeannie (B. & W. 229) as well as an oil of the full work (B & W. 231) which is executed rather more loosely than the present pastel.
The present pastel is the product of a whole series of sketches and studies in pastel, charcoal, pencil and watercolour that Morisot executed of this important composition between 1887 and 1888 (cf. B. & W. nos. 524 and 525). Morisot also executed three oils of the composition which include single studies of Julie (B. & W. 228) and Jeannie (B. & W. 229) as well as an oil of the full work (B & W. 231) which is executed rather more loosely than the present pastel.