Édouard Vuillard

In the 1890s, Edouard Vuillard was associated with a group of rebellious artists called Les Nabis, a title taken from the Hebrew name for “prophet.”  The group, which included Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Paul Sérusier, Paul Ranson and Félix Valloton, was influenced by the work of Paul Gauguin.  The aesthetic goal of Les Nabis was to create a purely pictorial art.  Their subjective interpretation of nature depicted simplified forms, flattened perspective and exaggerated colors.

Completed in 1893, when the young painter hit his stride as an artist, L’artiste eloquently conveys Vuillard’s gift with paint and brush.  Vuillard’s most successful compositions were executed in small format.  In the present work, the sitter is framed by a large negative space, a device inspired by the Japanese prints of Hokusai and Outamaro among others.  The viewer’s eye is drawn to the model’s vibrant red dress that Vuillard delineates by employing Divisionist brushstrokes.  His brushwork has little to do with the depiction of light or the optical theories of Seurat.  Instead, Vuillard uses of the Neo-Impressionist technique to break down the composition into areas of surface patterns.  In startling contrast to the delicate brushwork employed in the sleeves and skirt, the model’s bodice is worked by a broad application of pigment that has been scored with the blunt edge of a brush.  This same effect is visible in the dark red block at the center right side of the work.  It is clear that the sitter is an artist, and she is depicted reaching into her paint box.  Her easel and paintings, the attributes of her trade or favorite domestic pastime, are visible in the background.  While stretchers cast bold horizontal shadows, a small painting is placed on the easel directly behind the artist who is grounded by a single tache of orange in the foreground.