Portrait de Madame Frantz Jourdain 1914

Édouard Vuillard captured Madame Frantz Jourdain with oil on canvas, in a way that feels both intimate and slightly mysterious. I imagine Vuillard, in his studio, circling, stepping back, squinting, building up the image in layers of muted colours and textures. The brushstrokes are soft, almost hazy, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The paint seems thin, like watercolour, making the surface feel delicate and fragile. Look at the way her hands are clasped, a gesture of quiet contemplation. You can almost feel the weight of her thoughts, the stories she holds within. The pale mauve jacket and the brown shades speak of domesticity and interiority. Vuillard was part of a group called the Nabis, who were interested in creating paintings that were decorative and expressive, and you can see that here. I think of other artists like Bonnard, who were also exploring similar territory, blurring the lines between the everyday and the extraordinary, and the way painters are in an ongoing conversation. Each stroke is a question, a response, an invitation to see the world anew.