La Nourrice c. 1894 - 1895

Édouard Vuillard likely made this small painting, titled *La Nourrice*, with oil paint on board. Vuillard was associated with the Nabis group, who were interested in the decorative arts. You can see this sensibility here in the overall patterning of the composition, and the way the figures seem almost subsumed into the domestic interior. But let’s think about the materiality of this work, and its making. Vuillard’s brushstrokes are short and choppy, building up a dense surface texture. He seems to be evoking the close atmosphere of a room, even the fuzziness of textiles. The sitter, the "nourrice," or nanny, seems to be absorbed in her work of childcare. And Vuillard seems interested in the labor involved in maintaining a household. The apparent informality of this painting shouldn’t fool you. It is a highly considered, beautifully crafted object. And it reminds us that making—whether painting or caring for children—is work.