Who painted Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens")?

Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens") was painted by Édouard Vuillard in 1894.

Where can I see Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens")?

Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens") is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens")?

Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens") is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens")

Édouard Vuillard , 1894

Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens") is an unspecified painting by the Impressionist artist Édouard Vuillard. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Under the Trees is one of nine panels from a decorative series commissioned for a private dining room.

About this work

Overview

Under the Trees is one of nine panels from a decorative series commissioned for a private dining room. It captures a quiet moment in a Parisian park, focusing on children at play and adults at rest. Vuillard abandoned traditional perspective, instead organizing the scene into layered bands of color and pattern, transforming the outdoor setting into an intimate, interior-like space.

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays a game of hide-and-seek, with a girl concealed behind a tree, while other children move dynamically across the left. To the right, women sit still on green chairs, their stillness contrasting with the children’s motion. The scene reflects everyday life in Parisian public gardens, yet its calm, almost ritualized arrangement suggests a meditative pause amid routine.

Technique & Style

Vuillard employed flat, non-modelled planes of color to depict trees, grass, clothing, and furniture, dissolving naturalistic detail into decorative motifs.

Vuillard employed flat, non-modelled planes of color to depict trees, grass, clothing, and furniture, dissolving naturalistic detail into decorative motifs. Brushwork is subdued, with no visible impasto; instead, the surface is smooth and unified, resembling woven textile or wallpaper. This approach prioritizes pattern and rhythm over spatial depth, aligning the work with the Nabis’ interest in symbolic form.

History & Provenance

Created in 1894, the painting was part of a commission for the dining room of a Parisian home, likely belonging to a patron connected to the Nabis circle. The series was designed to harmonize with domestic architecture, blending art and interior design. It remained in private hands until entering a public collection, where it is now recognized as a key example of decorative modernism.

Context

Vuillard’s work emerged during a period when artists sought to break down boundaries between fine art and applied design. Influenced by Japanese prints and medieval tapestries, he rejected academic realism in favor of intimate, patterned compositions. This series responded to a broader cultural interest in bringing artistic harmony into domestic spaces.

Legacy

Under the Trees exemplifies how early modern artists reimagined everyday subjects through abstraction and pattern. Vuillard’s integration of decorative principles into painting influenced later movements that valued surface and symbolism over illusionism. The work remains a quiet but significant reference in the history of modern interior decoration and the decorative turn in painting.