Édouard Vuillard (1868-1940) was a Post Impressionist French artist
often associated with
Les Nabis
, a brotherhood of young, rebellious
artists established in 1888. Among the most successful artists to emerge
from the group were Pierre Bonnard (lots 61-65), Maurice Denis (lot 66)
and Vuillard. The
Nabis
(meaning “prophets” in Hebrew) rejected the
use of Renaissance perspective and instead were inspired by decorative
arts and traditional Japanese
Ukiyo-e
prints; they embraced two-
dimensional surface patterns and unimpeded areas of pure color.
Vuillard created some of his best known works while directly involved
with the Nabis, focusing on figures in warm, ornate interiors filled with
complex patterning. The figures in these scenes frequently blend in with
the décor, creating a decorative homogeneity which covers the picture
surface. Vuillard once stated that he did not paint portraits, rather that
he, “Paint(s) people in their surroundings.” Vuillard was among the more
prolific
Nabis
printmakers, producing an
oeuvre
that consisted of 60
lithographs and 7 etchings between the 1880s and 1930s.
Parisian art dealer/publisher Ambriose Vollard organized several group
shows for the
Nabis
and issued portfolios of original lithographs and
etchings by the artists. Various sets of
Nabis
prints were loaned by Vollard
to the Armory Show and, outside of one oil painting, these lithographs
represented Vuillard in the 1913 exhibition. The price per lithograph was
$12 (approximately $285 today); prominent collectors Lillie P. Bliss, Walter
C. Arensberg and Arthur J. Eddy were all listed as buyers.
