Vuillard, Edouard, << vwee YAHR, ay DWAR >> (1868-1940), was a French painter. His pictures portray his private world—a view from a window, or corners of his studio and living room enclosed by walls and furniture. In his interior scenes, he showed figures reading, relaxing, or concentrating on common tasks. Many show women engaged in sewing or dressmaking, the profession of his mother, with whom Vuillard lived for much of his career. He painted his environment both as a place of quiet and rest and as a disturbing situation where even the walls appear menacing. Vuillard was influenced by Japanese art, which can be seen in the brilliantly colored flat patterns of his paintings.
Vuillard was born on Nov. 11, 1868, in Cuiseaux, near Chalon. He moved to Paris in 1877, and he became associated with the Nabis group of artists. He died on June 21, 1940.
