DiscoverThe John Batchelor Show41: The Scarcity Value of Time: Impressionism and the Legacy of Julie Manet. Sebastian Smee discusses how Berthe Morisot's life is carried forward by her daughter, Julie Manet, who represents a "perfect representation of Berthe." Before Berthe succumbed to il
41: The Scarcity Value of Time: Impressionism and the Legacy of Julie Manet. Sebastian Smee discusses how Berthe Morisot's life is carried forward by her daughter, Julie Manet, who represents a "perfect representation of Berthe." Before Berthe succumbed to il

41: The Scarcity Value of Time: Impressionism and the Legacy of Julie Manet. Sebastian Smee discusses how Berthe Morisot's life is carried forward by her daughter, Julie Manet, who represents a "perfect representation of Berthe." Before Berthe succumbed to il

Update: 2025-11-03
Share

Description


The Scarcity Value of Time: Impressionism and the Legacy of Julie Manet. Sebastian Smee discusses how Berthe Morisot's life is carried forward by her daughter, Julie Manet, who represents a "perfect representation of Berthe." Before Berthe succumbed to illness, she wrote a tender letter expressing how Julie had "never once not made me happy." Smee links the philosophy of Impressionism to Sigmund Freud's essay "On Transience," arguing that awareness of mortality should make people value the present moment more—a concept called "scarcity value in time." Impressionism is inherently an "art of transience" that captures fugitive effects. Morisot exemplified this philosophy by valuing the present moment's beauty, refusing to apply artificial meanings or permanence. Ironically, revolutionary Impressionism soon became "orthodox," though the next generation reacted against it, believing it lacked structure. Despite criticisms, Impressionism has lasted because audiences recognize the truth in valuing fugitive effects, and its greatest contribution was the liberation of color.




Comments 
In Channel
loading
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

41: The Scarcity Value of Time: Impressionism and the Legacy of Julie Manet. Sebastian Smee discusses how Berthe Morisot's life is carried forward by her daughter, Julie Manet, who represents a "perfect representation of Berthe." Before Berthe succumbed to il

41: The Scarcity Value of Time: Impressionism and the Legacy of Julie Manet. Sebastian Smee discusses how Berthe Morisot's life is carried forward by her daughter, Julie Manet, who represents a "perfect representation of Berthe." Before Berthe succumbed to il

John Batchelor