Nude on an Orange Rug 1909

Édouard Vuillard made this painting, "Nude on an Orange Rug," with oil on canvas. It's undated, but the strokes and tones evoke the early 20th century. What strikes me about this piece is the visible process, the way Vuillard builds up the image through layers of brushstrokes. Look at the rug, it's almost a field of pure color, each dab a decision, a response to the last. The paint isn't trying to hide, it's right there, thick and juicy in places. Then notice the nude. It's not about smooth perfection; it's about how light hits skin, how form emerges from the chaos of color. There's a certain honesty, a willingness to let the medium speak, to show the struggle and the joy of making. Vuillard reminds me of Bonnard, in his intimacy and domesticity, and his commitment to the tangible qualities of paint. Art is an ongoing experiment, right? A visual conversation that embraces the unfinished, the unresolved, and the wonderfully ambiguous.