Vuillard wanted his viewers to feel involved when looking at his pictures.
Like the other Post-Impressionists, Vuillard reacted against what he saw as the superficial nature of Impressionist paintings.
Rather than capturing a scene itself, Vuillard believed that it was the emotion the scene aroused in the artist that should be the subject of the work.
Although the subject matter is drawn from everyday life, Vuillard's paintings are like visual puzzles.
His use of asymmetry and cut-offs, and the sheer profusion of pattern, surface, texture and detail, make these small paintings complex to look at.
The four small decorative domestic interiors in this display tell us much about Vuillard himself. And they tell us a lot about the lifestyles of his small circle of artist, dealer and writer friends and their families.
Although Vuillard never married, his close friendships with women were crucial to both his life and art. These women sustained the reserved artist.
Whether is was his dutiful affection for his mother or his intimate but platonic friendships with Misia Natanson then with Lucy Hessel, they inspired subjects for his paintings.