The Diary of Julie Manet

Julie Manet was born on November 14, 1878, in France. She was the daughter of the Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot and the niece by marriage of Édouard Manet. Julie herself became a painter and kept a valuable diary that documents the artistic life of Paris at the end of the 19th century.

Julie began writing her diary in 1893 at the age of 15. The young girl moved within a circle of artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Stéphane Mallarmé. The latter became her guardian after the death of her mother. Berthe Morisot died in 1895 from pneumonia. Julie was deeply affected by the loss, and from that moment the tone of her diary changed—it became a refuge where she could express her grief.

Julie’s diary serves as a window into the artistic world of her time. It includes descriptions of studio visits, conversations with famous painters, reflections on art, literature, and music, as well as her personal emotions after her mother’s death.

Julie recounts a visit to Renoir. She observes his studio with curiosity and describes the paintings in progress. She notes how gently the painter works, despite the pain that had already begun to affect his hands.

She often writes about Edgar Degas, a close family friend. She comments on his sometimes abrupt character, his irony, but also his brilliant intelligence.

The young girl also describes the Tuesday gatherings at Mallarmé’s home, evoking the atmosphere and the discussions about poetry and music.

It was Berthe Morisot who painted Julie most often, in works such as Julie au berceau (1878) and Julie rêvante. Renoir painted her as a child, while Édouard Manet portrayed her as a baby shortly after her birth. Degas created drawings and studies in which she appears.

Julie loved reading poetry, French classics, and sometimes works in English. Her taste for literature was strongly influenced by Stéphane Mallarmé, who personally guided her education.

After her marriage to Ernest Rouart, also from an artistic background, she became known as Julie Manet Rouart. Although she did not pursue a public artistic career like her mother, she played an important role in preserving and promoting the work of Berthe Morisot. She contributed to maintaining the archives and the legacy of the Impressionist circle.