Woman in a Red Dress, or J. R. against a Window

Jean-Édouard Vuillard was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker. He was a member of the avant-garde artistic group Les Nabis, creating paintings that assembled areas of pure color. Today's painting IS a pure color.

A woman in a red, fur-trimmed dressing gown leans on a table, which is partially covered by a basket of fabric and a softly shaded lamp. A small patch of light in the upper left may indicate the presence of a window. As in many of Vuillard’s works from the 1890s, the forms are loosely defined, underlining the interplay of decorative surface patterns over precise detail. The alternate title—J.R. Against a Window—suggests that the subject may be the celebrated opera singer Jeanne Raunay, possibly depicted in her dressing room. Vuillard, a frequent opera attendee, may have known Raunay personally.

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about the Nabis or today's masterpiece author, enroll in our online course Post-Impressionism 101.  :) 

P.P.S. As others Nabis, Vuillard had an original style. Discover the art of Vuillard and the women who inspired him.