Café Wepler c. 1908 - 1910

Édouard Vuillard made this painting of the Café Wepler with oil on canvas, and, boy, is it a swirl of activity! Vuillard’s marks here feel almost like scribbles, but they build up to form a very cohesive and bustling interior scene. It’s all process, every bit. I love the material feel of this painting; the textures are so apparent. You can practically feel the soft glow of the restaurant lights mixed in with the crisp linens on the tables. Look at the lower portion of the canvas, where the color almost bleeds together, forming a soft field of reds and pinks! This bleeds and stains up into the tables and chairs, and gives a solid anchor to all that loose activity up above. This kind of overall, all-over approach reminds me a bit of Bonnard, but with a tougher edge. It’s a testament to how artists can depict a moment without getting caught up in the details. It's a feeling more than a snapshot.