Les Deux roses et la boîte de pastels 1903 - 1904

Editor: So, this is Vuillard’s *Les Deux roses et la bo\u00eete de pastels*, painted around 1903-1904 using oil. It has a certain cozy, intimate feeling, doesn't it? Almost like a peek into a private space. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: I'm particularly struck by the overt display of the materials of artistic production themselves: the pastels. The arrangement isn't just about capturing a scene, but about celebrating the very tools used in its creation. What does it tell us about the artist's labor? How are these elements of the artist’s work presented, and what assumptions are we making? Editor: I hadn't really thought about that! I just saw them as part of the composition, another object amongst others. Does the depiction of everyday objects tell us anything about who Vuillard made art for, or his standing as an artist? Curator: Absolutely! Intimist painters frequently painted interior settings, elevating everyday bourgeois life and possessions to artistic status. But it also reveals how Vuillard might have perceived his own role as a maker and tradesman. Is he trying to democratize art? How might we perceive the connection between high art and ordinary material? Editor: So, the focus isn't just on the beauty of the roses but on the physical reality of creating art. That makes me think about the way he’s built up the paint, it’s not just representational but tactile. Curator: Exactly. Consider how the availability and cost of materials—oil paint versus pastels—shaped his choices, as well as impacting what the artwork would come to signify. How does materiality influence our understanding? Editor: It feels less like a detached observation and more like he is showing you how it's created as an extension of the labor. I appreciate the emphasis on materiality; I’ll be looking at other works in a new light. Curator: Indeed. Paying close attention to the “stuff” of art allows us to unpack a whole world of social, economic, and even political meanings that we might otherwise miss.