Portrait de Kerr-Xavier Roussel

Portrait de Kerr-Xavier Roussel from 1930 at the Musée d'Art Moderne completes Vuillard's quartet of late Nabi colleague portraits. Roussel was Vuillard's brother-in-law — he had married Vuillard's sister Marie — and was among the closest of Vuillard's personal and professional relationships throughout his life. By 1930 Roussel had moved toward classical mythological subjects, but his bond with Vuillard remained intact. This maquette captures their long intimacy in the directness of the sketch.

As with the other Nabi portrait maquettes, the handling is direct and exploratory — color observations made without the polish of final presentation. Roussel's features are established quickly and confidently, the sketch quality conveying the comfort of long familiarity between painter and subject.