HELENE BAILLY MARCILHAC - Exhibition Nabis, Édouard Vuillard, The intimate as a territory
10/09/2026
As part of the NABIS exhibition, the HELENE BAILLY MARCILHAC gallery is spotlighting Édouard Vuillard this week, a major figure of the movement and a sensitive observer of everyday intimacy. At the end of the 19th century, Vuillard made his familiar surroundings one of his primary fields of experimentation. Interiors, everyday gestures, and the figures around him became the starting point for a style of painting in which the boundary between the figure and its setting seems to gradually blur.
His mother, Marie Vuillard, occupies a central place in this world. *Marie Opening the Window*, painted in 1893, and *Madame Vuillard Sewing*, created in 1898, bear witness to this focus on the most everyday scenes. Far from seeking to capture mere anecdotes, Vuillard transforms these familiar moments into compositions where textures, motifs, and colors create a deeply personal atmosphere.
With *Elegant Woman, Square des Batignolles*, also painted in 1898, the viewer’s gaze leaves the domestic sphere and turns toward the city. Yet the same artistic pursuit remains: the figure blends into its surroundings to the point of almost becoming one with them. Dedicated to Thadée Natanson, co-founder of *La Revue blanche* and a close associate of the Nabis, the work is fully rooted in the artistic and intellectual circle in which Vuillard moved during this period.
A few years later, *The Little Model with a Bulgarian Hat*, circa 1912–1913, reveals another facet of his work. The model’s presence is more pronounced, while the painter’s penchant for fabrics, textures, and color harmonies remains. From domestic scenes to portraits, Vuillard thus pursues the same artistic quest: to make the surrounding life the very substance of his painting.
These four works, brought together for the NABIS exhibition, offer a journey through nearly twenty years of creative output and an opportunity to discover the uniqueness of Vuillard’s vision, which blends intimacy, decor, and modernity.
EDOUARD VUILLARD (1868-1940), Le Petit Modèle Au Chapeau Bulgare, circa 1912-1913 © Julien Pépy
His mother, Marie Vuillard, occupies a central place in this world. *Marie Opening the Window*, painted in 1893, and *Madame Vuillard Sewing*, created in 1898, bear witness to this focus on the most everyday scenes. Far from seeking to capture mere anecdotes, Vuillard transforms these familiar moments into compositions where textures, motifs, and colors create a deeply personal atmosphere.
With *Elegant Woman, Square des Batignolles*, also painted in 1898, the viewer’s gaze leaves the domestic sphere and turns toward the city. Yet the same artistic pursuit remains: the figure blends into its surroundings to the point of almost becoming one with them. Dedicated to Thadée Natanson, co-founder of *La Revue blanche* and a close associate of the Nabis, the work is fully rooted in the artistic and intellectual circle in which Vuillard moved during this period.
A few years later, *The Little Model with a Bulgarian Hat*, circa 1912–1913, reveals another facet of his work. The model’s presence is more pronounced, while the painter’s penchant for fabrics, textures, and color harmonies remains. From domestic scenes to portraits, Vuillard thus pursues the same artistic quest: to make the surrounding life the very substance of his painting.
These four works, brought together for the NABIS exhibition, offer a journey through nearly twenty years of creative output and an opportunity to discover the uniqueness of Vuillard’s vision, which blends intimacy, decor, and modernity.
EDOUARD VUILLARD (1868-1940), Le Petit Modèle Au Chapeau Bulgare, circa 1912-1913 © Julien Pépy
