Costumbrismo
While most of Morisot’s artistic production focused on the landscape and nature, a considerable portion of his sketches also concerned the local populations he and Chaffanjon encountered during their voyage. Everyday life in Latin America was a beloved topic of traveler artists during the 19th century. Part of a genre known as costumbrismo, these images satisfied European curiosity about foreign cultures and their so-called “exotic” customs. Morisot’s costumbrista drawings are mainly quick pencil or crayon sketches, in which he records a scene with a few gestural marks on paper. On occasion, he focused on the figures within these scenes to make more detailed and resolved portraits. Displaying the diversity of Venezuelan society, these works include portraits of generals, hacienda owners, and businessmen, as well as sailors, domestic workers, and the indigenous communities around the Orinoco River. Applying his talents equally to models of different classes and races, Morisot treated each with academic precision.