Breakfast at Villerville 1910

Édouard Vuillard made this painting, Breakfast at Villerville, with oil on canvas. Looking at the overall busyness of this painting, I imagine Vuillard going at it with gusto, working and reworking the surface. It’s a feast of ochre and red with a scattering of blues. I feel for Vuillard, trying to capture the intimacy of a crowded breakfast table. All those faces, the patterned wallpaper, the textiles, the light streaming in through the windows - a real challenge for any artist! I love how the artist uses the flatness of the paint to play with our perception. See how the foreground blurs into the background? It’s a great way of creating a dream-like atmosphere. The woman in the blue dress, gazing out of the frame, is particularly striking. Is she bored, contemplative, or just waiting for her toast? So much is left to our imagination. Like Bonnard and the other artists in his circle, Vuillard had so much to say about the intimacy of domestic life. It's a conversation that continues today.