Interior with mother and sister of the artist

Édouard Vuillard painted this Interior with Mother and Sister of the Artist in 1893, creating a scene where figures merge with their surroundings. The wallpaper patterns threaten to engulf everything, blending into the sister's dress in a dizzying effect that challenges traditional boundaries between person and space. The painting represents Vuillard's distinctive approach to domestic subjects.

Vuillard was a key member of the Nabis, a group of Post-Impressionist artists who explored emotional states through flattened perspectives and decorative surfaces. They believed art should convey personal feelings rather than merely record appearances. In this painting, the intimate scale and domestic setting allow Vuillard to explore the psychological weight of family relationships and the spaces where they unfold.

The figures represent the artist's own mother and sister Marie, subjects he returned to throughout his career. Textiles play a major role, with the patterns of fabrics adding visual richness and tactile interest. The composition creates tension between decorative surface and emotional depth. Today, it belongs to the collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, where it demonstrates the colorful patterns that defined Vuillard's intimate interiors.