Berthe Morisot, the Correspondence with Her Family and Friends: Manet, Puvis de Chavannes, Degas, Monet, Renoir and Mallarme

Though a leading French impressionistwho some French critics rank with Monet, Degas and RenoirMorisot's paintings only now are receiving a full-scale reevaluation. This selected correspondence reveals a highly intelligent woman, filled with self-doubt, berated by her mother for her ""selfishness,'' yet persisting in her total immersion in her art. Close friends with Manet, Degas and Mallarme, Morisot married Manet's brother and shared ideas with colleagues who included Cassatt, Monet, Renoir and Pissarro. The letters, edited by Morisot's grandson, were first published in England in 1957. Arranged in a narrative sequence that is interwoven with Rouart's commentaries, they regrettably offer only a fleeting look at her relationships with other impressionists, her working methods or inner thoughts. Sensitive drawings by Morisot, Manet and Degas preface each chapter. (July 15)