GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Edouard Vuillard lived with his mother until her death in 1928, and her continual presence made her the most frequent subject in his domestic subjects and interiors; she is easily recognized by her diminutive stature and characteristic gray bun. Here we see her watching over the tottering steps of her first grandchild, Annette, the daughter of Vuillard's sister, Marie. They are in the corner of the room that served as Vuillard’s studio in the apartment where he lived with his mother. Blank canvases are stacked against the far wall, and a large tapestry chair dominates the foreground, towering over young Annette and accentuating her small size while also offering a firm grip for her chubby hand. Annette was a frequent visitor at the Vuillards' apartment and she remained one of the artist's favorite subjects as she grew into adulthood.
Adapted from
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy, 2010.
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy, 2014.
NOTES
Added text entries for 2012 guide text and 2014 label copy.
General Description:
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (1994.220), October 2010.
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (1994.220) for Small Worlds: Edouard Vuillard and the Intimate Art of the Nabis, October 2014.
Found more recent label in Confluence and will add this label to TMS as a text entry for archival purposes. (1/10/2016)
Nicole Myers, DMA Label copy (1994.220), August 2016. [From PC-2016-EURO-Aug16Rotations-EDITED.docx]
Edouard Vuillard
French, 1868–1940
The First Steps, 1900–1901
Oil on canvas
Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Barron Kidd, 1994.220
In The First Steps, the artist’s mother oversees the tottering movement of her granddaughter (Vuillard’s niece) Annette. Edouard Vuillard frequently painted members of his family in the intimate spaces of their Parisian apartments. Here, we see a corner of the room that served as Vuillard’s studio in the apartment where he lived with his mother. Blank canvases are stacked against the far wall, and a large tapestry chair dominates the foreground, towering over young Annette and accentuating her small size, while also offering a firm grip for her chubby hand.
Provenance:
1901-1905: Bernheim-Jeune Gallery, Paris, purchased from the artist [1]
Until 1905: Galerie Fayet, Paris, until May 25, 1905 [2]
n.d.: Joseph Hessel, Paris [3]
n.d.: Jacques Dubourg, Paris [4]
After 1939: Sam Salz, New York, after 1939 [5]
Before 1952- at least 1964: Mrs. Albert D. Lasker, New York [6]
1977: Marlborough Fine Art, London [2]
n.d.: Lefevre, London [2]
1978: Paul Rosenberg, New York [2]
Until 1980: Acquavella Galleries, Inc., New York
1980-1994: Mrs. Anne Barron Kidd, purchased from the above, December 1980 [7]
From 1994: Dallas Museum of Art, bequest from the above
[1] As cited in A. Salomon and G. Cogeval, Vuillard, the inexhaustible glance: critical catalogue of paintings
and pastels, New York, 2003, p. 571 (First Steps) (color illus.). Purchased from the artist by Bernheim-Jeune
on May 14, 1901, Stock no. 11625.
[2] As cited in A. Salomon and G. Cogeval, Vuillard, the inexhaustible glance: critical catalogue of paintings
and pastels, New York, 2003, p. 571 (First Steps) (color illus.).
[3] Hessel and his wife were good friends with Vuillard. Hessel was an avid art collector and was associated with the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery that represented Vuillard. Vuillard and Hessel were friends from 1910-1940 when the artist died.
[4] A. Salomon and G. Cogeval cite Jacques Dubourg, Paris as the owner during this period, instead of
Jacques-Georges Roussel, as provided by Acquavella Galleries. Considering that Acquavella Galleries
seems to have provided incomplete provenance information that did not include the prior owner, Paul
Rosenberg, or the two galleries in London which kept the painting, it is likely that the name Jacques-Georges
Roussel is incorrect.
[5] Acquavella Galleries provided the entire provenance history before the Laskers. Sam Salz (an art dealer) must have owned the painting at some point after 1939. Documentation in the object file indicates that he probably owned the work while living in New York. Since he did not move to New York permanently until 1939, one can assume the painting was in his collection after 1939. A gap in the provenance of ten years is not unexpected in this instance. It was normal for Salz to “live with a painting” for a number of years before agreeing to sell it. See M. Esterow, “The Very Special World of Sam Salz,” Artnews, May 1974, p. 36.
[6] Albert Lasker clearly purchased the painting before 1952, for his collection (of which the work was included) was exhibited at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in March of that year. The introduction to the catalogue indicates that the Lasker’s only began collecting fine art after 1941. Therefore that painting was acquired anytime between 1941 and 1952.
[7] Before being transferred to the DMA, the painting was on long-term loan to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: Paris (France): TGN: 7008038
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Ker-Xavier Roussel
Subject terms
chair
children
toddler
interior
mother
grandmother
identification
foreground
studio
rug
walking
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
Belinda Thomson, "Edouard Vuillard: Exploring the Limits of Intimism," lecture April 1, 2010, Dallas Museum of Art. Transcribed. (Lecture was one of two delivered on the same evening. Dr. Thomson gave her presentation first.)
13315520: UMO
Object number entered in Piction. Deleting UMO tag from this object note.
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- Belinda Thomson argues that the title First Steps was likely given by a subsequent owner of the painting. Vuillard preferred general titles such as "Interior" and avoided sentimental references. (See Thomson's essay, People in Rooms: Four Paintings by Edouard Vuillard.)
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1994.220
Category
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General Description
Edouard Vuillard lived with his mother until her death in 1928, and her continual presence made her the most frequent subject in his domestic subjects and interiors; she is easily recognized by her diminutive stature and characteristic gray bun. Here we see her watching over the tottering steps of her first grandchild, Annette, the daughter of Vuillard's sister, Marie. They are in the corner of the room that served as Vuillard’s studio in the apartment where he lived with his mother. Blank canvases are stacked against the far wall, and a large tapestry chair dominates the foreground, towering over young Annette and accentuating her small size while also offering a firm grip for her chubby hand. Annette was a frequent visitor at the Vuillards' apartment and she remained one of the artist's favorite subjects as she grew into adulthood.
Adapted from
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy, 2010.
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy, 2014.
Fun Facts
- Belinda Thomson argues that the title First Steps was likely given by a subsequent owner of the painting. Vuillard preferred general titles such as "Interior" and avoided sentimental references. (See Thomson's essay, People in Rooms: Four Paintings by Edouard Vuillard.)
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Added text entries for 2012 guide text and 2014 label copy.
General Description:
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (1994.220), October 2010.
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (1994.220) for Small Worlds: Edouard Vuillard and the Intimate Art of the Nabis, October 2014.
Found more recent label in Confluence and will add this label to TMS as a text entry for archival purposes. (1/10/2016)
Nicole Myers, DMA Label copy (1994.220), August 2016. [From PC-2016-EURO-Aug16Rotations-EDITED.docx]
Edouard Vuillard
French, 1868–1940
The First Steps, 1900–1901
Oil on canvas
Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Barron Kidd, 1994.220
In The First Steps, the artist’s mother oversees the tottering movement of her granddaughter (Vuillard’s niece) Annette. Edouard Vuillard frequently painted members of his family in the intimate spaces of their Parisian apartments. Here, we see a corner of the room that served as Vuillard’s studio in the apartment where he lived with his mother. Blank canvases are stacked against the far wall, and a large tapestry chair dominates the foreground, towering over young Annette and accentuating her small size, while also offering a firm grip for her chubby hand.
Provenance:
1901-1905: Bernheim-Jeune Gallery, Paris, purchased from the artist [1]
Until 1905: Galerie Fayet, Paris, until May 25, 1905 [2]
n.d.: Joseph Hessel, Paris [3]
n.d.: Jacques Dubourg, Paris [4]
After 1939: Sam Salz, New York, after 1939 [5]
Before 1952- at least 1964: Mrs. Albert D. Lasker, New York [6]
1977: Marlborough Fine Art, London [2]
n.d.: Lefevre, London [2]
1978: Paul Rosenberg, New York [2]
Until 1980: Acquavella Galleries, Inc., New York
1980-1994: Mrs. Anne Barron Kidd, purchased from the above, December 1980 [7]
From 1994: Dallas Museum of Art, bequest from the above
[1] As cited in A. Salomon and G. Cogeval, Vuillard, the inexhaustible glance: critical catalogue of paintings
and pastels, New York, 2003, p. 571 (First Steps) (color illus.). Purchased from the artist by Bernheim-Jeune
on May 14, 1901, Stock no. 11625.
[2] As cited in A. Salomon and G. Cogeval, Vuillard, the inexhaustible glance: critical catalogue of paintings
and pastels, New York, 2003, p. 571 (First Steps) (color illus.).
[3] Hessel and his wife were good friends with Vuillard. Hessel was an avid art collector and was associated with the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery that represented Vuillard. Vuillard and Hessel were friends from 1910-1940 when the artist died.
[4] A. Salomon and G. Cogeval cite Jacques Dubourg, Paris as the owner during this period, instead of
Jacques-Georges Roussel, as provided by Acquavella Galleries. Considering that Acquavella Galleries
seems to have provided incomplete provenance information that did not include the prior owner, Paul
Rosenberg, or the two galleries in London which kept the painting, it is likely that the name Jacques-Georges
Roussel is incorrect.
[5] Acquavella Galleries provided the entire provenance history before the Laskers. Sam Salz (an art dealer) must have owned the painting at some point after 1939. Documentation in the object file indicates that he probably owned the work while living in New York. Since he did not move to New York permanently until 1939, one can assume the painting was in his collection after 1939. A gap in the provenance of ten years is not unexpected in this instance. It was normal for Salz to “live with a painting” for a number of years before agreeing to sell it. See M. Esterow, “The Very Special World of Sam Salz,” Artnews, May 1974, p. 36.
[6] Albert Lasker clearly purchased the painting before 1952, for his collection (of which the work was included) was exhibited at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in March of that year. The introduction to the catalogue indicates that the Lasker’s only began collecting fine art after 1941. Therefore that painting was acquired anytime between 1941 and 1952.
[7] Before being transferred to the DMA, the painting was on long-term loan to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: Paris (France): TGN: 7008038
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Ker-Xavier Roussel
Subject terms
chair
children
toddler
interior
mother
grandmother
identification
foreground
studio
rug
walking
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
Belinda Thomson, "Edouard Vuillard: Exploring the Limits of Intimism," lecture April 1, 2010, Dallas Museum of Art. Transcribed. (Lecture was one of two delivered on the same evening. Dr. Thomson gave her presentation first.)
13315520: UMO
Object number entered in Piction. Deleting UMO tag from this object note.
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1994.220
source file
object_notes_2_b-0268.xml.nores