How Much Is Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets Worth?

Painted in 1872, this portrait of Berthe Morisot—Manet’s confidante and a leading Impressionist—sits at the heart of Manet’s portraiture and the movement’s formation. It captures a pivotal figure with whom Manet had a sustained artistic dialogue, and the painting’s spare elegance, psychological acuity, and signature black palette encapsulate Manet’s modernity. The image is heavily published, frequently loaned, and widely taught, placing it just below his most canonical provocations (Olympia, Déjeuner) while ranking at the apex of his portraits. For collectors, the combination of prime date, iconic sitter, and museum-grade quality confers maximum cultural capital and justifies a premium above other strong but less central Manet subjects.

Top-tier Manet portraits of named sitters—especially those with deep ties to Impressionism—are exceptionally scarce in private hands. The best examples are concentrated in museums, and the market sees few opportunities to compete for works of similar renown or quality. This scarcity amplifies competition and pricing when anything close surfaces. While high-quality landscapes and still lifes can still achieve robust prices, they do not match the historical and narrative power of a definitive portrait like Morisot. In a thinly supplied, globally contested trophy segment, rarity is a core value driver, increasing the likelihood of record-setting bidding dynamics should a comparably important Manet portrait ever come to market.

The 2014 record for Le Printemps at $65.1m establishes the floor for A+ Manet portraiture, while the $51.9m Venice view (2022) reinforces depth above $50m for top-quality works. Recent results such as the $10.1m floral (2024) evidence sustained liquidity across the artist’s categories. Relative to these, the Morisot portrait carries greater art-historical centrality and name recognition, supporting an upward adjustment. In today’s “flight to quality” environment—where nine-figure results for late 19th-/early Modern masterpieces remain achievable—the incremental trophy premium for an image of this stature plausibly elevates value into low nine figures, consistent with our $100–140m range.

Early provenance threads through Théodore Duret (a key critic and Manet champion) and Berthe Morisot herself, then through her heirs before the 1998 acquisition for the French State and allocation to the Musée d’Orsay. The work’s extensive exhibition and publication history—most recently in major international shows—cements its scholarly weight and public profile. Such a pedigree typically reduces perceived risk and enhances desirability at the top end of the market. While precise conservation details would further refine pricing, the combination of blue-chip institutional ownership, illustrious provenance, and sustained visibility strengthens confidence in a premium valuation and supports the upper half of the proposed range.