Undeniably Berthe Morisot's most famous painting, The Cradle was painted in Paris in 1872. It shows one of the artist's sisters, Edma, watching over her sleeping daughter, Blanche. It is the first image of motherhood—later one of her favourite subjects—to appear in Morisot's work.

　The mother's gaze, her bent left arm, a mirror image of the child's arm, and the baby's closed eyes form a diagonal line which is further accentuated by the movement of the curtain in the background. This diagonal links the mother to her child. Edma's gesture, drawing the net curtain of the cradle between the spectator and the baby, further reinforces the feeling of intimacy and protective love expressed in the painting.

　Berthe Morisot showed The Cradle at the Impressionist exhibition of 1874—the first woman to exhibit with the group. The painting was scarcely noticed although important critics commented on its grace and elegance. After unsuccessful attempts to sell it, Berthe Morisot withdrew it from display and The Cradle stayed in the model's family until it was bought by the Louvre in 1930.

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　　摩里逤特喜歡描繪室內景物，她似乎想在熟悉、親密的家庭環境中表現富有詩意的畫面。 這幅《搖籃》是女畫家第一次參加印象派展覽的作品之一，畫中描繪一位年輕的母親注視著自己入睡的孩子情景，母親和在紗帳內熟睡的嬰兒構成了極為深情與和諧優雅的畫面，毫無矯揉造作之態，這是出於一位溫情女性之心理情感，這使畫面十分純潔，難怪雷諾瓦稱譽她為“純潔的天才”，把她看著是優秀的室內情景畫家。這幅畫以筆觸流暢、色調清新留在人們記憶中。