Interior 1902

Édouard Vuillard made this painting, Interior, with oil on cardboard, and it feels like a real peek into a private world. I imagine Vuillard being totally absorbed by the patterns and textures in front of him. Look at the wallpaper, alive with little blue and brown details. It almost feels like he’s trying to capture the essence of intimacy itself. What's so striking about this work is how the material qualities of the paint become expressive; the surface is so tactile. And the colors – muted browns, greens, and blues – create a space that is both comforting and a little claustrophobic. Vuillard's mark-making feels so intuitive; I think he was just letting his feelings guide his brush. It reminds me of other painters like Bonnard, who were also interested in the everyday. What is painting if not a way of turning the ordinary into something extraordinary, showing us how to see and feel the world in new ways?