Artwork
Woman Sitting by the Fireside
Woman Sitting by the Fireside is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Édouard Vuillard. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: E Vuillard
About this work
Technique & Style
Woman Sitting by the Fireside is an oil painting executed on cardboard, a support typical of Vuillard's intimate domestic interiors from the 1890s.
Woman Sitting by the Fireside is an oil painting executed on cardboard, a support typical of Vuillard's intimate domestic interiors from the 1890s. The work measures 21.5 cm in height by 26.2 cm in width, reflecting the modest scale of his decorative panels. Vuillard's handling of oil emphasizes flattened perspective and richly patterned surfaces, with careful attention to the textures of fabric, wallpaper, and firelight that define the composition.
The painting demonstrates his signature blend of decorative abstraction and meticulous detail, particularly in the rendering of interior furnishings and the sitter's quiet presence.
History & Provenance
Edouard Vuillard painted Woman Sitting by the Fireside in 1894, an oil on cardboard work now held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Capt. Edward H. Molyneux owned the painting by 1952 and held it in Paris, where it was exhibited as part of his collection that year. He sold the work to Ailsa Mellon Bruce in August 1955, and Bruce later bequeathed it to the National Gallery of Art in 1970.
Woman Sitting by the Fireside has been in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since 1970, when it was bequeathed by Ailsa Mellon Bruce (1901–1969) of New York. Bruce had acquired the painting on 15 August 1955 from Captain Edward H. Molyneux (1891–1974), a Paris-based fashion designer and collector who is the earliest documented owner. No provenance is recorded prior to Molyneux, whose ownership is confirmed by a 1952 exhibition of the Molyneux collection and corroborated in a 22 September 1999 letter from Guy Cogeval held in the NGA curatorial files.
The work was exhibited publicly as part of the Molyneux collection in 1952, prior to its sale to Bruce. No further exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Context
Edouard Vuillard's 1894 oil on cardboard painting Woman Sitting by the Fireside was part of Capt. Edward H. Molyneux's collection in Paris by 1952 before being sold to Ailsa Mellon Bruce in 1955 and later bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in 1970. The work remains in the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C., where it is catalogued as part of their holdings. Vuillard's intimate domestic scenes, characterized by decorative patterning and flattened perspective, are closely associated with the Symbolist and Intimist movements, reflecting his focus on private interiors and psychological nuance within the broader context of late 19th-century French painting.
Overview
Created circa 1894, Woman Sitting by the Fireside is an oil painting executed on cardboard. The work belongs to the later phase of the post‑Impressionist era and reflects the artist’s involvement with the avant‑garde collective Les Nabis, of which he was a member from the early 1890s until the turn of the century.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a solitary woman positioned near a hearth, bathed in the glow of the flames. The fire serves as the dominant source of illumination, casting warm tones across the surrounding furnishings. The figure appears absorbed in thought, inviting viewers to contemplate the quiet interior moment rather than focusing on facial detail.
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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.
