Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece

Edouard Vuillard

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a partial view of a dark wooden mantle. The mantle itself takes up the bottom right corner of the painting, and we see one side of it, but not the other. On its left corner, there is a vase of pink flowers, which stands at the center of the painting. Behind the vase, on top of the mantle, is a large silvery mirror in a golden frame. The mirror reflects gray walls and indistinct rectangles of black, gray, and brown. In the bottom left corner, there is a patterned brown and white object, perhaps furniture or draped fabric. The wall on the left of the mantle and the mirror is a cream color. In some areas of the painting, the reddish-brown material beneath the paint is visible.