In an 1876 review, a sarcastic critic referred to participants in the second Impressionist exhibition as "five or six lunatics—among them a woman—a group of unfortunate creatures." Berthe Morisot is the woman to whom he alluded. Morisot, an original member of the group, showed in seven of its eight exhibitions and contributed financially to sustain the impressionist movement. The Mother and Sister of the Artist, one of Morisot's largest works, was exhibited at the Salon of 1870 and perhaps again in 1874 at the first Impressionist exhibition.

　The painting, a family portrait and an intimate domestic genre scene, was begun when Morisot's sister Edma Pontillon stayed with her family in the winter of 1869–1870 to await the birth of her first child, a pregnancy discreetly disguised by Edma's loose white morning robe. Anxious about sending the painting to the Salon, Morisot solicited Manet's advice, and on the last day for submissions he visited the Morisot home. Morisot's correspondence reveals that, rather than offer verbal suggestions, Manet extensively repainted the figure of the artist's mother. Manet's suave shorthand, seen in the mother's features and black dress, differs obviously from the nervous refinement of Morisot's touch in her sister's features, the floral upholstery, and the reflections in the mirror over Edma's head.

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　　莫里索是法国著名的画家，是印象派团体中不可或缺的人物和最出色的女画家。她师从柯罗、马奈等名家。在这件作品中中可见马奈的用色特征：大块的黑与白的对比，简洁的色调，但在人物和环境的描绘上仍显示出莫里索特有的温柔和明朗。

　　莫里索喜欢肖像题材，特别是妇女与儿童的肖像。这幅《画家的母亲和姐姐》事实上画的是她的母亲和姐姐的肖像，母亲的黑衣与女儿的白衣形成鲜明对比。光线从左侧射来，使女儿的白衣出现丰富的变化，母女的脸部都在光影中显出安适的神情。作品清新、流畅、纯洁、细腻，每一笔触、每一色块都包含着丰富的情感。