The Two Sisters-in-Law

This is one of twelve color prints Édouard Vuillard created for Paysages et intérieurs (Landscapes and Interiors), a lithographic suite commissioned by the art dealer Ambroise Vollard. Like many of the images Vuillard produced in the 1890s, this intimate interior features members of his close circle. Depicted here are Misia Natanson, the artist's friend and patron, and her sister-in-law Marthe Mellot, a well-known singer and actress. Though the subject is of quiet domesticity, the fact that we cannot see the women's faces or what they are doing lends a sense of mystery to this otherwise familiar scene.