Berthe Morisot and Édouard Manet: Art, Affection, and the Struggle Against Bourgeois Expectations. Sebastian Smee discusses how the Impressionists lived amidst the violence of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. Berthe Morisot came from the wealthy haute bourgeoisie and, along with her sister Edma, became a serious painter, successfully exhibiting at the Salon. However, women of their background were expected to marry and give up painting. Berthe, still unmarried at 29 in 1869, was devoted to her art when she met Édouard Manet at the Louvre. Manet was captivated by Berthe and invited her to pose for The Balcony. Despite precautions, a mutual flirtation developed, though Manet was married to Suzanne, which stood as an impediment.