Woman at Her Toilette

Edouard Vuillard

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a woman with her face turned to the left and her back to us, holding a piece of white fabric in her left hand. She has pale yellow skin and dark brown hair tied up into a loose bun or knot at the back of her head. Her face is blurred, with no features beyond the vague outline of a nose and a few dots of paint suggesting an eye. She is wearing a long, dark blue long garment that she appears to be putting on or taking off, with her right hand raised up to her shoulder. Behind her is a low brown table or countertop, and the background is painted in muted mustard and beige tones. The brushstrokes are thick and visible on top of a textured surface.