Portrait de Madame Frantz Jourdain 1914

Édouard Vuillard made this portrait of Madame Frantz Jourdain, using paint to build up a surface that hums with quiet energy. Look at how Vuillard handles paint. It’s neither showy nor slick. He uses it to construct an atmosphere that is interior, both psychologically and spatially. The colours, though muted, create a rich harmony, like a well-worn tapestry. He’s not trying to trick you into thinking this is “real.” Instead, he embraces the materiality of paint, its ability to be both surface and depth. Notice the way the light glances off the planes of the desk. Each stroke feels considered, a small decision in a larger conversation. Vuillard reminds me a little of Bonnard, another painter who found the extraordinary in the ordinary. Art isn’t about answers; it’s about the questions we ask, the conversations we have, and the spaces we create along the way.