Étude pour l’un des dessus-de-porte de Monsieur et Madame Paul Desmarais, L’Atelier de couture 1892

Édouard Vuillard made this oil on cardboard, "Study for one of the over-doors of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Desmarais, The Sewing Workshop," as a preparatory piece for a commission. Vuillard, part of the Nabis group, often depicted intimate, domestic scenes reflecting the values of the French bourgeoisie at the turn of the 20th century. Here we see the interior of a dressmaking workshop. Who are these women, and what are their stories? Vuillard’s mother was a seamstress, and he lived with her his entire life. For many women, dressmaking offered a means of independence in a society that severely limited their economic opportunities. Yet, it also confined them to a life of labor, often in cramped conditions. Vuillard blurs the line between the personal and the professional. The painting’s intimate scale draws us into the quiet, concentrated world of the atelier, offering a glimpse into the lives of working women and their emotional resilience. It invites reflection on the intersection of labor, gender, and domesticity.