Woman in a Red Dress, or J. R. against a Window

A woman in a fur-trimmed, red dressing gown leans on a table covered by a basket filled with cloth and a shaded lamp. A small area of light at back left may be a window. As in other works by Vuillard of the 1890s, forms are not precisely defined as the artist explores complex effects of decorative surface pattern. An alternative title for this work- J. R. against a Window-may suggest that the painting represents the famous opera singer Jeanne Raunay in her dressing room. Vuillard was a regular visitor to the opera and may have known the singer personally.