Édouard Vuillard, the Nabis, and the Politics of Domesticity

This thought-provoking and timely book sheds new light not only on Vuillard, but on the role of politics in the art of the Nabis. Richly illustrated and ambitious in scope and depth, it marks an exciting way forward for feminist interpretations of modernity. * Claire Moran, Reader in French Studies, Queen’ s University Belfast, UK * Berry plots a masterful feminist analysis of Vuillard’s representations of “feminine domesticity.” Training her sharp eye on the images’ complex material layers, she reveals his equally complex engagement with social and political contexts. Impeccably researched, this book will quickly become indispensable. * Marni Kessler, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Kress Foundation Department of Art History, University of Kansas, USA * Berry’s sustained engagement with the complex discourses surrounding domesticity and femininity greatly enrich our understanding of Vuillard’s avant-garde project. In five deeply researched chapters, Berry exposes an overlooked side of the artist and his oeuvre, and offers new methodologies towards a more inclusive art history. It is a bold and dazzling contribution to the Nabi literature. * Mary Weaver Chapin, Curator of Prints and Drawings, Portland Art Museum, Oregon, USA * With its thrilling feminist analyses of the often-disquieting art of Vuillard and the Nabis, Berry’s book reveals the surprisingly modern politics at play in artworks dependent on women’s labour and at times radically collaborative…a powerful contribution to art’s feminist histories. * Allison Morehead, Professor of Art History, Queen’s University, Canada *