Vuillard was born near Lyon, but the family moved to Paris in 1878. His father died when he was fifteen and thereafter his mother, who ran a small corset and dress-making business from home, became the dominant influence in his life. Many of Vuillard's paintings of the turn of the century are small in scale and depict apparently mundane interiors or record everyday episodes in domestic, middle-class life. These were subjects few other artists thought worthy of attention. His paintings of this type are usually referred to as 'intimiste'.
The representation of subjects or ideas by use of a device or motif to create underlying meaning. A literary and artistic movement that originated in France and spread through much of Europe in the late nineteenth century. There was no consistent style but rather an appeal to the idea of the artist as mystic or visionary and the desire to express a world beyond superficial appearances.
A broad-ranging term covering the variety of painting styles that emerged in the wake of Impressionism in Europe, particularly in France. The most prominent artists to arise from the group are Georges Seurat, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.