Vuillard, Édouard (1868-1940)
Une couturière (A Seamstress)
1892
Oil on canvas, 64.5 x 53.7 cm
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
The subject of a woman sewing comes directly from Edouard Vuillard‘s own experience in his mother’s dressmaking shop where, as a youth, he watched his sister work. In this painting, a seamstress is hunched over her handiwork in quiet concentration, and is surrounded by a profusion of colorful and decorative materials. Placing great emphasis on the composition of the portrayed items, Vuillard flattened out the forms so that they interlock and produce strong patterns. (SLAM)