Edouard Vuillard
I often hear artists worrying about the fact that their work is constantly changing. They wonder when they'll be done with the endless stylistic renovation and experimentation, and emerge into their finished, final style. I believe that my final, mature style will be the one that's happening in the studio on the day that I die. Until then, change is my constant; it keeps me from growing bored and feeling like I'm working in a factory that produces paintings.
My recent trip to London and Paris showed me that I'm not alone. I saw plenty of mature, famous works by big names like Monet, Morisot, and Degas, but I also saw anomalies: paintings that test drove styles, compositions, and ideas to see if they were worth pursuing.
The Musée D'Orsay had a great collection of Vuillards on display, and his ceaseless experimentation was plain to see on the walls. Art books lean towards defining him as a painter of highly-patterned interiors. Those are the pieces that are most often reproduced. But what I found was an artist who explored many more subjects and styles in his lifetime, circling around an interest in pattern, but stretching from realism to abstraction, overwhelming patterning to big, clean shape making, and everything in between. I got a sense of a restless, curious artist who never got bored because there was always something new to try. He made a life that was interesting and engaged. Could an artist ask for more?
In no particular order, here are some of the Vuillards from the D'Orsay. Enjoy!
Happy painting, and may you never bore yourself in the studio!
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