Before the Mirror (Front Side)
c. 1898
Édouard Vuillard captures a candid, almost theatrical moment in this sketchy drawing from around 1898. A figure, dressed in a loose white blouse and blue-striped trousers, stands before a large oval mirror, seemingly trying on hats or wigs held in both hands. The loose, scribbled lines and soft washes of yellow and blue give the scene a fleeting, intimate feel, typical of the Nabis group's focus on private domestic life. It feels like we've just walked in on a quiet moment of preparation or perhaps a playful dress-up session in a Parisian apartment.