Tennis Game by the Sea 1907

Édouard Vuillard created this oil on cardboard painting, titled *Tennis Game by the Sea*. The painting presents a woman seated in a chair, with a tennis court scene as a backdrop. Notice the painting’s surface, where visible brushstrokes build up a textured and tactile quality. The composition is structured through a series of horizontal and vertical lines, establishing a clear, architectural framework. Vuillard's use of color is quite striking. The color palette, dominated by earthy browns and muted yellows, creates a harmonious balance. Yet, the strategic application of white generates contrast, highlighting the woman's dress and key areas of the background. The artist integrates the figure within her environment so that she almost becomes one with it, dissolving the figure-ground relationship. Through his innovative treatment of paint and form, Vuillard does not merely represent reality but rather offers a subjective interpretation of it. He invites us to contemplate the interplay between perception and representation, where the boundaries of seeing and knowing blur.