Standing Nude

Standing Nude is among Vuillard's privately kept studio studies, a genre distinct from his exhibited work. Like other French painters of his generation — Bonnard most notably — Vuillard occasionally worked with a model in a private context that differed from the formal nude tradition of the Salon. These studies were rarely shown publicly and seem to have served both as formal exercises and as personal documents. The standing pose with its direct, unconventional relationship to the viewer suggests a private rather than a public function for the work.

Vuillard applies paint with a relatively direct, unmediated touch in this study, working quickly to establish the figure's proportions and tonal relationships. The background is minimal, providing contrast rather than setting. The overall effect is more immediate and less elaborately patterned than his large finished interiors.