Édouard Vuillard

Artist's Studio
Private Collection
JPL Fine Arts, London
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, November 6, 2003, lot 129
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Academy, Pierre Bonnard & Édouard Vuillard, 1948, no. 78
Lausanne, Paul Vallotton S.A., Édouard Vuillard, 1989, no. 12
Glasgow, William Hardie Gallery Ltd., Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940). A Small Tribute to a Great Master, 1990, no. 28

Antoine Salomon and Guy Cogeval, Vuillard, The Inexhaustable Glance, Critical Catalogue of Paintings and Pastels, vol. 3, Paris, 2003, no. X-69, illustrated p. 1212

Very good condition. Surface is dirty. The paperboard on which the work is executed has darkened slightly. Small chip of loss in bridge of her nose. A few other minor flecks of loss around edge.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Painted in 1915, the present work embodies the tranquil, singular quality of many of Vuillard's most celebrated portraits.  The model's distant stare and contemplative expression suggest that we are bearing witness to a stolen moment of profoundly personal thought.  Enveloped in her own existence, she is oblivious to the prying eyes of the intrusive portrait maker. 

Her tidy hair and simple black frock are striking tonal contrasts to the gentle brushstrokes of pinks and tans that constitute her face.  The strong black lines that punctuate her brow are an abrupt departure from her passive expression.  The simultaneous sensitivity and introspection with which the portrait is executed is a compelling reminder of the artist's depth of articulation.

Writing about the artist's work in December 1913, the critic Arsène Alexandre describes the momentous artistic period that Vuillard was entering: "There are artists whose formation, development and zenith form a whole that is in itself as harmonious as a work of art. Édouard Vuillard is one such. The continuity, logic and refinement of his work place him among the finest minds of our age. In its range and breadth, its single-mindedness and freedom, power and beauty, its increasing breadth of vision and quiet eloquence, it proclaims its author to be one of the most original and penetrating artists of the school that succeeded the Impressionist movement. He is now truly at the height of his powers; the delightful style we knew has become a flexible, wide-ranging language unique to him and enriched by him, which he alone can use. The feeling of life that enchanted us twenty years ago in his judiciously reserved earlier style has become life itself,  in an illusion achieved by the most subtle and unusual means. This is what we understand by illusion in art" (Arsène Alexandre, "La vie artistique: peintures d'Édouard Vuillard," Le Figaro, December 21, 1913).