The Striped Blouse
1895
Eduoard Vuillard
This is the kind of painting which triggers so many reactions, you need to let them calm down before you can reflect on how beautiful it is.
A little background to satisfy some of those initial responses. This is part of a set Vuillard painted for Misia Godebska and her husband Thadee Nathanson. Critics identify the woman in the foreground as Misia herself, a prominent musician in her day. At about this time, Vuillard was forming the Nabis art group with Pierre Bonnard, dedicated to bringing expression and symbolism into modern painting. The subject is two women arranging flowers.
You could describe this as a riot of colour and pattern: Vuillard's Nabis group would later inspire the Fauvists (Wild Animals). The dominant colours and yellows (including skin tones) and browns, punctuated and highlighted with blue and white. I find the whole effect uplifting. I would joyfully have this on one of my (probably, magnolia) walls.
One more thought - and I have to confess that I have yet to be able to see this in paintings - some critics have described Vuillard's work as synesthetic - it initially calls into play one sense (sight) and evokes another(in this case, hearing). They see his work as being musical. They even suggest that it is created to reflect the music which Misia played. Over to you with that one.
This is a delightful painting which gladdened my day.
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