Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens")1894 · Study 1953.212

Context from the museum

This painting is from a nine-panel decorative series showing children playing in two of Paris’s most spacious parks: the Tuileries Gardens and the Bois de Boulogne. It depicts a game of hide-and-seek in which a girl conceals herself behind a tree. The stillness of the women resting on green chairs at the right is countered by children running at the left. Rather than a realistic rendering of the subject, Édouard Vuillard arranged the composition in bands of colorful, decorative patterns so that the painting seems like a tapestry.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Vuillard's social circle included actors and directors. He often contributed to their theatrical pursuits by designing costumes, programs, and set pieces. In this panel from a nine-part series, a patterned landscape recalls scenery for the stage.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens") is 96.3 cm wide and 214.2 cm high, equivalent to approximately 37.9 × 84.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.45:1. The rectangular bounding area is 2.06 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 32.1% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 101.8 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens") in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, distemper on fabric, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 96.3 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?