The Dressmaker 1895

Curator: This is Édouard Vuillard's "The Dressmaker," and it's currently part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It's so dreamlike, almost faded, like a memory. The blues and yellows give it a melancholic yet nostalgic feel. Curator: Vuillard, who lived from 1868 to 1940, often depicted intimate, domestic scenes. His focus was less on grand narratives and more on the everyday lives of women in his immediate circle. Editor: I wonder about the dressmaker herself. Her back is turned, denying us a personal connection. Is this a comment on the anonymity of labor or the artist's gaze? Curator: It’s possible. Vuillard was working during a time of rapid social change, with new discussions around the role of women in the workplace. The print invites us to consider the dressmaker's place in that context. Editor: It definitely challenges any romanticized notions of labor, prompting a deeper reflection on the lived experiences of working women. Curator: Exactly. Vuillard offers us a glimpse into a world often unseen, prompting us to consider the social fabric of his time. Editor: Leaving us to reflect on how much, or how little, has changed since Vuillard captured this quiet, yet potent, moment.