Artwork
Mme Vuillard in a Set Designer's Studio
Mme Vuillard in a Set Designer's Studio is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Édouard Vuillard. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The interior setting, rendered in oil on canvas in 1897, underscores the everyday environment of the sitter, linking the personal and artistic realms.
The painting presents a woman seated within a modest interior that functions as a set designer’s studio, emphasizing a domestic, private space. The interior setting, rendered in oil on canvas in 1897, underscores the everyday environment of the sitter, linking the personal and artistic realms. The work’s composition highlights the interior’s furnishings and the sitter’s poised posture, suggesting a quiet, contemplative atmosphere typical of late-19th-century French domestic scenes.
The piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, having entered the museum via the Robert Lehman donation, and its dimensions are 45.1 cm by 37.5 cm.
Technique & Style
Édouard Vuillard painted Mme Vuillard in a Set Designer’s Studio in 1897 using oil on canvas, a format confirmed by the work’s dimensions of 45.1 cm by 37.5 cm and its classification as a painting. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the piece, which originated from the Robert Lehman collection. Vuillard’s technique emphasizes interior space, flattening perspective while rendering decorative details of the studio, and his handling of oil paint produces a tightly composed, intimate scene. The composition showcases patterned surfaces and a subdued palette, characteristic of his post-Impressionist approach to domestic interiors.
History & Provenance
Mme Vuillard in a Set Designer's Studio is an oil on canvas painting by Édouard Vuillard created in 1897. The work measures 45.1 cm by 37.5 cm and is classified as a painting. It portrays a woman in a studio interior, reflecting Vuillard’s fascination with theatrical domestic spaces.
The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the Robert Lehman Collection, where it has been displayed since its acquisition. It is catalogued as a painting within the museum's inventory, though no specific accession number is provided in the available records, and exhibition histories for the piece are not documented in the sources consulted.
Overview
Édouard Vuillard, a French artist active in the late 19th century, created Mme Vuillard in a Set Designer's Studio in 1897. This oil painting exemplifies his frequent depiction of intimate domestic interiors. The work features a solitary female figure within a richly patterned room, reflecting the artist's characteristic focus on quiet, contemplative scenes. It is currently part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Context
Created during his association with Les Nabis, an avant-garde group active from 1891 to 1900, this painting aligns with Vuillard's broader artistic concerns. The Nabis sought to integrate art into daily life, often focusing on decorative schemes and intimate subjects. Vuillard's frequent portrayal of interior scenes and female figures, particularly his mother, became a hallmark of his contribution to this influential movement.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Édouard Vuillard (French:; 11 November 1868 – 21 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker.
- Madame Vuillard in a Drawing Room
Le palier, rue de Miromesnil
Madame Vuillard Standing, Reading by a Window
Woman in Black
Study of a woman
The doors
The Artist's Sister, Anna Giersing, Wearing a Red Shawl
Interior
The Green Interior (Figure Seated by a Curtained Window)
Easter Monday-Hélène Daurmont
Untitled
Breakfast