Sheet of Studies for ‘Le Jardin Public’ 1893 - 1894

Édouard Vuillard made this sheet of studies for 'Le Jardin Public' in France at the turn of the 20th century. It gives us a glimpse into the creative process of an artist deeply embedded in the social fabric of his time. Vuillard, associated with the Nabis group, often depicted intimate, domestic scenes and public spaces. This sheet, with its seemingly random sketches, offers a peek into the visual vocabulary he was developing. The figures, the park scenes, and even the architectural details all speak to the burgeoning urban life of Paris. The "jardin public" or public garden was a particularly important site of social interaction. To truly understand this work, we might delve into archives of photographs, maps, and social commentaries of the time. These give us a more complete picture of the social conditions that shaped Vuillard's artistic vision. It is only with such contextual understanding that we can grasp the full meaning of this sheet of studies and of Vuillard’s art.