Faithful readers know that Édouard Vuillard is one of my favorite painters, and one who greatly inspires me. I've been revisiting some of his work, and exploring his use of the silhouette. Truly masterful!
The top image is variously called "Interior with Women Sewing" or "L'Aiguilée" ("The Needle"). Oh, wow, I can just feel that hand with the needle pulling the thread taut. The central figure has such a strong gesture. There are actually three women in this painting, but the silhouettes of the ones on the left serve merely to bring you eye to the main actor in the center. It's a masterpiece of composition and sparing use of shapes.
The next one is also full of lessons for us lesser mortals. There is a lot of "busy-ness" in the interior decor, but the power of the two female silhouettes create unity and harmony. There are a lot of lost edges, where the women's silhouettes fade right into the darkness of the room. As a result, only partial silhouettes remain. And even then, they are so powerful! I also think the silhouettes of the chairs are wonderful compositional tools. They define the area of interest, and bring our eye in a circle.
And the silhouette doesn't need to be blackened. This last painting shows how a simple, un-modeled figure in silhouette can anchor a painting. Again, the interior space is replete with details and small shapes of color. Almost dizzying to the eye. But the solid form of the central figure holds everything together. Such a beautiful piece of magic.
If you are interested in more about silhouettes, and especially Vuillard's, check out this post from a few years ago. Happy reading!
