Lilacs

Painted in 1899 and held at the Musée d'Orsay, this work shows Vuillard's increasing interest in floral subjects within domestic settings as he moved away from the most extreme formal experiments of his early Nabi period. Lilacs — abundantly flowering spring shrubs associated with Parisian domestic gardens — offered a sensory subject allowing rich chromatic exploration without sacrificing decorative surface unity. The year 1899 marked a period of relative stability for Vuillard; his reputation was established, his patrons — including Thadée Natanson of the Revue Blanche — sustained his practice, and his intimiste approach was being recognised as a coherent and significant contribution to Post-Impressionist painting.

Dense clusters of pale lilac and white blossom are built up with a dabbing, multidirectional touch against deep green foliage. The composition resists clear spatial recession, the flowers pressing forward as a near-abstract colour field.