The Enigmatic Smile
1851 to 1875
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
watercolor over graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 23.6 x 20.5 cm (9 5/16 x 8 1/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Given in memory of Martin Atlas by his friends
Accession Number
2000.66.2
Art Historical Context
**The Enigmatic Smile** a delicate watercolor over graphite on wove paper by artist Édouard Vuillard, dating from 1851 to 1875. Measuring just 23.6 x 20.5 cm (9 5/16 x 8 1/16 in.), this intimate work belongs to the National Gallery of Art CG-E department. It was generously given in memory of Martin by his friends, highlighting its enduring appeal to collectors and connoisseurs. Vuillard, emerging as a Post-Impressionist and member of the Symbolist-influenced Les Nabis group, excelled in capturing domestic scenes and subtle emotions with luminous color and pattern. The watercolor technique her...
About the Artist
Edouard Vuillard · 1868–1940
Jean-Édouard Vuillard was born on November 11, 1868, in Cuiseaux, Saône-et-Loire, France, to a retired naval captain father and seamstress mother, Marie Vuillard. After his father's early death in 1884, the family settled in Paris, where Vuillard attended the Lycée Condorcet, meeting future Nabis members like Ker-Xavier Roussel—later his brother-in-law—and Maurice Denis. He began formal training i...