Woman Reading to a Little Girl by Felix Vallotton (Interpretation and Analysis)

Woman Reading to a Little Girl
Source: WikiArt

In a recent exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum of Art named French artist Felix Vallotton the painter of disquiet. I think this is a very accurate way to describe Vallotton’s work. There is a quality of directness and authenticity in his work that gives his paintings the ring of psychological truth. While Vallotton’s paintings usually depict everyday scenes of Parisian life, his approach to art adds complexity and challenge to what would otherwise be rather conventional images.

Woman Reading to a Little Girl is a good example of this aspect of his work. Vallotton was quite interested in interior, domestic scenes and knew how to use compositional elements of these settings to maximum possible effect. Here, the painting centers around a woman and a little girl; both are oblivious to the viewer’s gaze, carefully studying the book they are reading together instead.

They are the main figures of the painting, but, in some ways, they are out of focus. The two figures are tucked away in a corner, their faces in shadow. Here, Vallotton defies the normal conventions for portraying mothers and children. There is no maudlin sentimentality here; in fact, the two figures lack any evidence of emotion. It’s as if the artist has simply walked in and found them going about their daily activities, and there is a sense that their presence in the painting is almost incidental.

Instead, it is the room itself that catches the viewer’s attention. Vallotton was clearly fascinated by interior spaces, and he makes masterful use of doors, walls, and windows to create interest. For example, in Woman Reading to a Little Girl, the orange wall to the left creates a sense of spontaneity within the painting. It breaks up the scene and creates multiple levels within the image. These tactics (and the history of interior paintings more generally) really begins with the Dutch Golden Age; during this period, artists became interested in painting everyday scenes of household life, a major shift at the time.

Vallotton’s work builds on this tradition. In fact, the curtain that hangs next to the doorway in Woman Reading to a Little Girl is a clear reference to the work of Johannes Vermeer, which often contains similar curtains. Vallotton’s work, however, adds new visual elements that unsettle these otherwise conventional images, creating a very modern and unique style.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.