Edouard Vuillard

French, 1868 - 1940

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A screen made up of five tall, rectangular panels, set side by side and each surrounded by a gold frame, is painted as a single scene showing a tree-lined sidewalk curving around a park in a city. The scene is loosely painted with short, rounded brushstrokes. The top two-thirds to three-quarters of most of the panels are filled with the lime and olive-green leaves of the trees that line the sidewalk and park. In the leftmost panel, the sidewalk and road lead back to a row of caramel-brown building façades. The sidewalk is pale taupe, and the street is painted with dashes of the same taupe against terracotta brown, suggesting cobblestones. Spindly trees are spaced in a row along the sidewalk in round holes covered with smoke-gray metal grates. A black fence, painted with thin, sometimes broken black lines encloses the park beyond, which has a path around plantings and the vivid green lawn. Touches of pink on a sage-green tree to our left in the park suggest flowers. A gray statue on a high plinth is partially lost in the break between the two rightmost panels. Men, women, and children, painted with a few strokes of black, gray, or marine or periwinkle blue, walk along the sidewalk and the garden path, or sit at the base of the fence or on benches spaced along the sidewalk. The women seem to wear long dresses and the men dark clothing and hats. Two carriages are pulled up on the street near a lamp post alongside the sidewalk near the lower left. In the leftmost panel, horse-drawn carriages move along the road leading back to the buildings, and more people seem to be gathered on the sidewalk near the left edge of the panel in the distance. The artist signed the work with brown paint in the lower right corner: “E. Vuillard.” The panels of the screen have been set up so the panels rest on a platform or on the floor in a shallow zig-zag pattern, in a room with an off white wall and bisque-brown molding along the floor.
Edouard Vuillard, Place Vintimille, 1911, five-panel screen, distemper on paper laid down on canvas, Gift of Enid A. Haupt, 1998.47.1-5

Place Vintimille

Edouard Vuillard · 1911 · five-panel screen, distemper on paper laid down on canvas ·  Accession ID  1998.47.1-5

This painting shows a partial view of a dark wooden mantle. The mantle itself takes up the bottom right corner of the painting, and we see one side of it, but not the other. On its left corner, there is a vase of pink flowers, which stands at the center of the painting. Behind the vase, on top of the mantle, is a large silvery mirror in a golden frame. The mirror reflects gray walls and indistinct rectangles of black, gray, and brown. In the bottom left corner, there is a patterned brown and white object, perhaps furniture or draped fabric. The wall on the left of the mantle and the mirror is a cream color. In some areas of the painting, the reddish-brown material beneath the paint is visible.
Edouard Vuillard, Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece, c. 1900, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.99

Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1900 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.99

Two people, perhaps a woman and man, and a baby sit at a table in a courtyard surrounded by vine-covered walls in this square painting. The scene is loosely painted with visible dabs, dashes, or smudges. The table is to the left of center. The man sits on the far side, to our left, and the woman, who appears to have her brown hair pulled up, sits facing away from us wearing a smoke-gray garment. A child wearing pink and pale blue sits to our right of the woman and seems to raise both arms. The ground is dotted with cream white and fog gray against the brown board on which this was painted. Steps lead up to a building at the back of the courtyard to the left, and the vine-covered wall stretches across the right two-thirds of the background. The artist signed the lower left corner, “E Vuilllard.”
Edouard Vuillard, Repast in a Garden, 1898, oil on cardboard, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.229

Repast in a Garden

Edouard Vuillard · 1898 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1963.10.229

Two pale-skinned women are shown from the waist up behind a counter in an interior space in this nearly square painting. Loosely painted patterns on their clothing, bunches of flowers to our right, and the background to our left create a patchwork of claret red, ivory white, forest green, deep burgundy, and golden yellow. The woman standing closer to us takes up the left half of the composition. She faces our right in profile. Her features are painted with blended strokes so are indistinct. Her auburn hair is pulled up, and her high-collared, garnet-red and white striped shirt has long sleeves with puffy shoulders. She looks down at a red vase of flowers she holds at its base with the hand we see. The second woman stands at the first woman’s far shoulder. She turns her face slightly toward us, and also gazes down at the flowers on the counter. Her high-necked shirt is ruby red. Four wine-red vases in front of the women are filled with dark maroon-red or cream-white flowers, perhaps chrysanthemums, forest-green and tan greenery, and one vivid, tomato-red blossom. A gap between two vases could be another vase either patterned with white and celestial blue or reflecting those colors. A dark red and two white blossoms are in the lower left corner of the composition, next to a long, lidded box with light brown sides and a navy-blue top. A loosely painted form in the upper left corner, over the first woman’s shoulder, could be a figurine or another person. Though the details are vague, there is a suggestion of a face turned leftward. She has blond hair and wears a long, loose marigold-yellow garment. The right arm, to our left, could be raised to shoulder height, and she stands before a crimson background, maybe a curtain. The rest of the background is painted with dots and touches of apple red, maroon, orange, sage green, dark brown, and butter yellow. The artist signed the canvas near the lower right corner, “E. Vuillard.”
Edouard Vuillard, Woman in a Striped Dress, 1895, oil on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1983.1.38

Woman in a Striped Dress

Edouard Vuillard · 1895 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1983.1.38

This painting shows the upper half of a woman's body, focusing on her face, head, and large hat. The woman's body is slightly turned toward the right, but she is looking directly at us. She has fair skin with areas of light pink on her cheeks and forehead, and her facial features are soft, including brown eyes, a small mouth, and dark, curly hair put up under a wide-brimmed hat. The hat has vibrant, abstract patterns in teal, tan, and black. The woman is wearing a dark-colored garment with a high collar. The background is made of light gray and white lines of paint. The brushstrokes in the painting are thick and visible, and in some areas, like the woman's hat and face as well as the background, the light brown color of the surface beneath the paint is visible.
Edouard Vuillard, Madame Bonnard, 1895/1900, oil on cardboard, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1995.47.13

Madame Bonnard

Edouard Vuillard · 1895/1900 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1995.47.13

This painting shows a person seated at a table in a bright yellow chair, facing the right. The person has pale skin and gray hair, and they are wearing a loose-fitting light brown garment, similar to a long coat or dress. On the table in front of them appear to be various indistinct objects in shades of white and red. The background has a dark green area on the right which may be a wall or curtain, with a lighter area on the left that maybe be a window or door. The floor is painted in shades of brown and beige. The brushstrokes in the painting are thick and visible, making the scene appear blurred.
Edouard Vuillard, Breakfast, 1894, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.97

Breakfast

Edouard Vuillard · 1894 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.97

This painting shows a person seated in a side profile view, facing the left with their back resting against a brownish-red chair. Their facial features are indistinct, and they have pale skin and dark hair styled in a simple bun. The clothing features a dark blue and yellow plaid pattern. The background comprises a textured wall in shades of cream and beige with thin lines of red. There is a dark vertical structure on the left, perhaps a piece of furniture. The brushstrokes are thick and visible against a textured surface.
Edouard Vuillard, Woman Sitting by the Fireside, c. 1894, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.96

Woman Sitting by the Fireside

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1894 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.96

A woman pushes aside a deep golden yellow curtain that fills three-quarters of this nearly square painting. The curtain runs on a rod parallel and close to the top of the canvas, extends off the right edge, and falls behind a bed covered in the same color. The bed is cropped by the bottom and left edges of the painting, and a brown, arched wood footboard almost reaches the right side. The woman stands on the far side of the bed, facing away from us as she pulls at the curtain with her right hand. She wears a navy-blue dress and a brown braid falls down her back. She reveals an area covered in a pink, green, and white floral pattern that seems to match the size of the curtain, at least along the left edge where it is exposed. A round mirror hangs on the floral-patterned area above a red piece of furniture, perhaps a small table or stool. The wall around the patterned area and curtain is painted bone white. A line incised in the paint running from the top left corner of the floral area to the top edge of the canvas suggests a crack in the wall. The paint is loosely applied so brushstrokes are visible throughout, especially in the floral pattern. The artist’s signature is painted in red in the lower left corner: "E. Vuillard."
Edouard Vuillard, The Yellow Curtain, c. 1893, oil on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.95

The Yellow Curtain

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1893 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1970.17.95

This painting displays soft, rounded shapes and fragmented lines, creating an abstract portrayal of two people seated at a dark yellow table. The round table is in the center, while the two people are on the left, their faces and bodies suggested with small dots of tan and light brown paint. The rough, brown surface under the paint has been allowed to show through in many places. On the table, white circular shapes resemble a cup and saucer, as well as a plate and bowl. The right side of the table has a light brown cloth draped over it, decorated with bright splashes. Behind the table and the people is a greenish-blue wall with a white door in the upper right corner.
Edouard Vuillard, Two Women Drinking Coffee, c. 1893, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.94

Two Women Drinking Coffee

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1893 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.94

This painting shows a woman with her face turned to the left and her back to us, holding a piece of white fabric in her left hand. She has pale yellow skin and dark brown hair tied up into a loose bun or knot at the back of her head. Her face is blurred, with no features beyond the vague outline of a nose and a few dots of paint suggesting an eye. She is wearing a long, dark blue long garment that she appears to be putting on or taking off, with her right hand raised up to her shoulder. Behind her is a low brown table or countertop, and the background is painted in muted mustard and beige tones. The brushstrokes are thick and visible on top of a textured surface.
Edouard Vuillard, Woman at Her Toilette, c. 1891, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.91

Woman at Her Toilette

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1891 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.91

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