Artwork
Women Sewing
Women Sewing is an unspecified painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Édouard Vuillard. It dates from 1912 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: E.Vuillard.
About this work
Technique & Style
This specific material combination distinguishes the work within the artist's oeuvre, blending the texture of paper with the structural stability of canvas.
Edouard Vuillard's Women Sewing, executed in 1912, is classified as a painting that utilizes an unconventional medium of glue applied on paper, which is subsequently mounted on a canvas support. This specific material combination distinguishes the work within the artist's oeuvre, blending the texture of paper with the structural stability of canvas. The resulting surface measures 179.9 cm in height and 95.9 cm in width, creating a substantial vertical format for the domestic scene depicted.
The work is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having entered the institution as a gift in 1985.
History & Provenance
Edouard Vuillard painted Women Sewing in 1912 using glue on paper affixed to canvas. The work entered the collection of Auguste Pellerin in Paris before being sold by Knoedler & Co. in June 1964 to Paul Mellon. It was subsequently gifted to the National Gallery of Art by Mr. Mellon in 1985.
Vuillard's painting remained within the Pellerin family after his death in 1929, passing to his children Jean-Victor Pellerin and Mme Réne Lecomte, though it was not sold during the 1926 or 1956 dispersal of the collection.
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. currently holds Women Sewing, accessioned in 1985 as part of the Mellon donation.
The work is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is accessioned as 1985.1.4.
It was acquired by the Gallery in 1985 as a gift of Mr. Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia, following his purchase at M. Knoedler & Co., New York in June 1964.
Overview
Created around 1912, Women Sewing is a work by French painter Édouard Vuillard executed in glue on paper applied to canvas. The piece belongs to the post‑Impressionist period and reflects Vuillard’s transition from the decorative experiments of Les Nabis toward a more realistic treatment of everyday life.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a quiet domestic interior where two women are seated, one engaged in sewing. The scene captures a moment of private activity, emphasizing the subtle interaction between the figures and their surrounding furnishings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Édouard Vuillard (French:; 11 November 1868 – 21 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker.
