Artwork
Square Vintimille
Square Vintimille is a print by Édouard Vuillard. It dates from 1937 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1937, *Square Vintimille* is a modest ink drawing on paper by French artist Édouard Vuillard. The work captures a fleeting impression of an urban plaza, rendered with loose, gestural lines that suggest rather than delineate architecture, foliage, and passersby. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a city square framed by irregular building façades, with a prominent dark tree occupying the central space. A small group of figures gathers beneath the canopy, hinting at everyday social interaction. The sketch’s unfinished quality invites viewers to imagine the atmosphere of the place rather than presenting a fully resolved scene.
Technique & Style
Vuillard employed rapid ink strokes, allowing the medium to remain visibly smudged and partially erased. The lines are uneven and scribbled, conveying movement and immediacy. This approach reflects his later departure from the flat decorative patterns of his early Nabis period toward a more spontaneous, observational manner of drawing.
History & Provenance
After the dissolution of the Nabis group, Vuillard continued to explore varied media, producing works such as this 1937 drawing. *Square Vintimille* entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition (date of acquisition not specified), where it remains part of the museum’s print and drawing collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Édouard Vuillard (French: ; 11 November 1868 – 21 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker.
